The US company L3 Harris has abandoned the partnership with Embraer that aimed at the “Agile Tanker” project, a tanker aircraft based on the C-390 Millennium airlifter, for the US Air Force (USAF).
Bosco da Costa Jr., CEO of Embraer Defense and Security, told Breaking Defense that L3 Harris decided not to move forward due to other priorities.
The two companies announced the Agile Tanker in September 2022 as an alternative for the USAF to complement its fleet of aerial refueling aircraft as a tactical aircraft, capable of operating in various scenarios.
At the time, the Air Force was considering launching two new tanker competitions, the KC-Y, which would be a second order for an aerial refueling vehicle based on passenger jets, and the KC-Z, an advanced stealth aircraft.
Follow Air Data News: WhatsApp | Google News | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
However, the USAF abandoned this approach in favor of the Next Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) program aimed at developing a stealth aircraft from scratch.
Merger or acquisition
According to Costa Jr., after the partnership was announced, L3 Harris showed less and less interest in the project, which included installing an aerial refueling boom on the C-390.
Embraer’s tactical transport aircraft was designed to perform aerial refueling, but through a probe and drogue system, with pods with hoses installed on the wings.
Embraer’s Defense CEO, however, said that the company remains dedicated to exploring military programs in the United States and intends to find another partner or even acquire a company in the country.
