As announced, Embraer held a presentation of the C-390 Millennium in South Africa on November 24th.
The demonstration aircraft registration PT-ZNG arrived in the country the day before and then flew to Waterkloof Air Base, where it was welcomed by officials from the Air Force and other government departments.
A presentation of the highlights of the multi-role jet was then held, followed by a press conference.
Several members of the South African government then boarded the aircraft for a demonstration flight. According to General Rudzani Maphwanya, Chief of the SA National Defense Force (SANDF), the visit of the Brazilian plane marks just the beginning of a phase of studies in search of a solution for the Air Force.
South Africa has older C-130 Hercules in its fleet, but budget cuts prevent the aircraft from operating as expected. Furthermore, they are quite old versions and would need updates to remain in service.
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The Air Force intends to evaluate other aircraft, but the possibility of cooperation with another BRICS member country (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) was highlighted by Maphwanya.
There was no announcement about the number of planned aircraft, nor about an official proposal, however. The presence of members from other sectors of the government was seen as a way to make an order viable as the C-390 could provide a variety of services such as medical evacuation and firefighting.
The KC-390 used by Embraer on the visit was provided by the FAB where it will receive the designation FAB2852. The aircraft had made a tour of the Middle East, participating in the Dubai Airshow and from there it would have made another appearance in Africa, but in Rwanda.
Source: DefenseWeb
