Brazilian aircraft producer Embraer Defense & Security and Mahindra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collectively bid for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Medium Transport (MTA) Aircraft tender. Embraer is pitching its C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft for the deal. The MoU was signed on the Embassy of Brazil in New Delhi on Friday.
“We are honored to announce this MoU with Mahindra. India has a diverse and strong defense and aerospace industry and we have chosen Mahindra as our partner to jointly pursue the MTA program” stated Mr Bosco da Costa Junior, President & CEO, Embraer Defense & Security in an announcement. “India is a key market for Embraer and we fully support India’s ambitions for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. We see this partnership as a symbol of strengthening relations between Brazil and India and a way to foster Global South cooperation.”
Embraer and Mahindra will have interaction with the IAF to establish the subsequent steps of the MTA program, in addition to contact the native aerospace trade in India to begin creating the industrialisation plan for the undertaking, the corporate stated in an announcement.
The C-390 Millennium multi-mission tactical transport aircraft provides unmatched mobility, combining excessive productiveness, and working flexibility with low working prices, which is an unbeatable mixture, the corporate stated. “The current fleet of aircraft in operation has accumulated more than 11,500 flight hours, with operational availability of around 80% and mission completion rates above 99%, demonstrating exceptional productivity in the category.”
The C-390 Millennium attained its Full Operational Capability standing with the Brazilian Air Force in 2023 and there’s additionally a configuration with air-to-air refuelling tools, with the designation KC-390 which features each as a tanker and as a receiver, the assertion added. “Both Embraer and Mahindra will explore the potential to turn India into a future hub of the C-390 aircraft for the region,” the assertion learn.
The IAF issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a MTA in December 2022 and the deadline to reply expired on March 31, 2023. There are three responses to the RFI which embrace the Airbus A-400M, the Lockheed Martin C-130, and the Embraer C-390. Among them, the A-400M has a most carrying capability of 37 tonnes, the C-130 shut to 20 tonnes and the C-390 can carry up to 26 tonnes.
The RFI states that the MTA ought to have a load carrying capability between 18 to 30 tonnes and has carried complete research to establish the present and future payload carrying necessities of the power.
The MTA may turn into a possible alternative for part of the a lot smaller AN-32s in service and will additionally change the bigger IL-76, which can also be being appeared into. There is a big hole in carrying capacities in the intervening time with the present aircraft which wants to adjusted, as reported earlier.
The transport fleet of the IAF at present consists of over 100 AN-32s, 56 AVROs within the means of being changed with the Airbus C-295, the IL-76 heavy transports, and the IL-78 mi-air refuelling tankers from Russia, the 12 C-130J Super Hercules and the 11 C-17 Globemaster strategic airlift aircraft from the US. Of these, the IL-76 has a capability to record 45-50 tonnes and the C-17 up to 70 tonnes.
An earlier undertaking to collectively co-develop and produce a MTA of 20 tonnes with Russia to change the An-32s was scrapped few years again after preliminary design discussions, as reported by The Hindu earlier.
