Embraer would have decided to open an assembly line for the A-29 Super Tucano turboprop in Portugal, according to the local branch of CNN. The article cites a statement by the Minister of Defense of Brazil, José Múcio, in which he promised an announcement during President Lula’s visit to the European country.
“Embraer is making an agreement to manufacture our Super Tucanos in a subsidiary of Embraer with the Portuguese industry”, Múcio would have said – it was not possible to check the authenticity of the statement.
“And this will be announced there [in Portugal]. They were also studying manufacturing the KC-390 in Portugal already within NATO parameters”, concluded the minister, according to CNN.
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On Friday, April 21, the Brazilian president began an official four-day visit to Portugal. The schedule includes a flight on the KC-390 between Porto and Lisbon, from where Lula will head to OGMA, a subsidiary of Embraer in the country, which is located in Alverca.
According to RTP, Lula will announce “important investments in Portugal” involving the aeronautical industry on Monday, 24.
Focus on NATO
The possible announcement of Embraer’s investments in Portugal is in line with recent moves by the company to make OGMA more capable of providing services for its aircraft.
The subsidiary became capable of providing technical support to the A-29 Super Tucano, in order to serve potential customers in Europe and other nearby regions.
The KC-390, which is about to enter service with the Portuguese Air Force, has part of its components produced in the European country. Portugal also approved an amount to acquire close air support aircraft, the category in which the A-29 operates.
Embraer wants to seek sales of both the Super Tucano and the KC-390 on the continent, with an eye on increasing defense spending by several nations, especially those that are members of NATO, the military alliance headed by the United States.
