Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force have agreed to deepen studies of a surveillance variant of the C-390 to focus on maritime patrol, the company said Dec. 3.
The agreement builds on a joint study launched in April aimed at developing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance studies of the turbofan-powered tanker/transport aircraft.
The studies continue as the Brazilian Air Force faces a fleet replacement decision for the nine Lockheed P-3AM maritime patrol aircraft acquired in 2011. In 2022, officials from the Brazilian service announced they had met with Boeing to learn about the capabilities of the P-8A Poseidon as a replacement for the P-3AM.
Since then, Embraer has made several proposals to adapt Brazilian-made aircraft to meet the requirement. The company first confirmed studies of a maritime patrol version of the E190-E2 airlifter in late 2023, then revealed the studies about adapting the C-390 for intelligence-gathering missions in April.
The Brazilian Air Force plans to buy 22 KC-390s to replace a fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130Hs, which completed a retirement process in March.
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