The commander of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), Brigadier Carlos de Almeida Baptista Júnior, stated on Monday that he will seek to reduce the number of KC-390 Millennium ordered from Embraer from 22 to 15 units.
This is the second time that the FAB intends to reduce the acquisition of the KC-390. Originally 28 units had been ordered from Embraer, but the reduction in the expected Defense budget because of the economic crisis resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, led the FAB to drastically cut the order to only fifteen units.
Finally, as we reported in February, a compromise was reached between Embraer and the FAB, for the acquisition of 22 units of the KC-390, while stretching the delivery schedule to 2034 to reduce the impact on the Air Force’s annual budget.
But, according to O Globo newspaper, the FAB insists on bringing the number of KC-390s to just 15 units and dedicating a larger portion of its budget to the addition of more F-39 Gripen fighters.
«The problem is the unpredictability of the budget. We can’t afford it in the short term,» the brigadier said about the purchase of the KC-390s, during a coffee with journalists.
In addition to the lack of resources in the Budget, the FAB wants to prioritize combat aviation (F-39 Gripen), manufactured by Saab in partnership with Embraer with technology transfer.
The FAB intends to have enough fighters to be distributed in two air bases. Today, the aircraft are stationed at Anapolis Base.
See also: Brazilian Air Force wants an additional squadron with another 26 Gripen fighters
In a context of budget cuts as envisaged by Brigadier Carlos de Almeida Baptista Júnior, the FAB would prioritize the renewal of its combat aircraft over the expansion of its logistics capacity.
But all is not yet said, and this situation will undoubtedly lead to intense negotiations between Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force.
An eventual cutback of the FAB order to only 15 units will force Embraer into tough renegotiations with suppliers and current export customers.
The KC-390 Millennium’s ability to compete in the international market against the legendary C-130 Hercules could also be diminished, particularly in a context in which the U.S. is divesting dozens of its older C-130Hs, which find a new home in friendly and allied countries, which obtain them for a symbolic price.
