Portugal to buy KC-390

[ehusmann]

Portugal has decided to start negociations with Embraer for the purchase of 5 KC-390 and an option for one more. These will of course replace the current 5 C-130 (4 still flying at the moment). The deal should be finalized in about 3 months time.

http://24.sapo.pt/atualidade/artigos/go ... tuir-c-130

Erwin

[Daniel Ravenswaay]

Would be nice if this deal goes through. Nice bird to see flying in European skies

[nilsko]

Nice indeed, but at the same time I'm a bit puzzled why a nation like Portugal invests in no less than 5 of these tankers for such a small fleet of F-16's they have now. Or is will these also be used for pan-European / NATO transport/tanker capacity (EATC)?

Or is this an example on how far you can bribe a government in buying useless equipment?

[Canberra TT.18]

As far as I know the KC-390, like the A400, is easy to modify from transport to tanker. Primair its a transport aircraft.

I even think they have the wrong system (boom or drogue) for a F-16.

Pieter

[ehusmann]

Don't see this a tanker deal. The Hercs are not either. They will be used for tactical transport, as well as fire fighting. In fact, one of the main reasons to choose these is because of the ability to perform fire fighting duties, a capability which is badly needed in Portugal.

Erwin

[nilsko]

Thanx for clarifying. Makes sense in that context..

[Bennie]

Wikipedia is already mentioning Portugal as a KC-390 customer. Besides that, an image is showing a Portuguese flag next to the fwd entry door (together with the Brazilian, Argentinian and Czech flags).

[leonard van T]

Portugal have signed an agreement for defense partnership contract for EEA to support engineering for the KC-390's components that will be built by Embraer's subsidiary OGMA

the Portuguese industry is already involved in tis project


Leonard