The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer has begun studies to develop a maritime patrol (MPA) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variant of its E190-E2 airliner.
Embraer has already entered into discussions with potential development partners in foreign countries, and hopes to capture interest in the potential MPA/ASW variant during the Dubai Air Show 2023.
We are looking for some international partners that could join us in this journey,” says Joao Bosco Costa Junior, CEO of Embraer Defense and Security. “So it’s a perfect moment to have this kind of conversation with them.”
As Aviationweek has learned, one of the aircraft configurations under study is a highly modified E190-E2, featuring a downward-canted, nose-mounted radome; fuselage belly-mounted anti-ship missiles and a sonobuoy dispenser in the aft of the aircraft. It will probably also incorporate an internal weapons bay to carry anti-submarine torpedoes and/or air-launched mines. This configuration will probably change and evolve as studies continue.
“We are far from a frozen configuration,” Bosco says. “We are now in a phase to evaluate all the possibilities and all the solutions available in the market to put the best [effort] we can in this potential product to have very quickly a potential launch customer.”.
Such a launch customer could well be the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), which will eventually be faced with replacing its fleet of nine P-3C Orion aircraft, acquired second-hand from the U.S. Navy in 2006.
Embraer could find an interesting market niche with an MPA/ASW version of its E2, as it should offer a longer range and greater payload capacity than what the market’s leading turboprop aircraft can offer, especially for those countries that, for political or economic reasons, cannot access the more expensive and capable Boeing P-8 Poseidon or Kawasaki P-1.
In fact, Pakistan chose to go precisely this way. Under the Sea Sultan program, the Pakistan Navy is seeking to replace its fleet of P-3 Orion aircraft with Emraer Lineage 1000s (VIP executive aircraft derived from the E190 regional jet). These aircraft are being purchased on the civilian market and will be modified by the South African company Paramount Group to perform the long-range maritime patrol missions now carried out by the Pakistani Orions.
