Embraer has received a contract for the structural overhaul of 43 of the Brazilian air force's AMX strike aircraft. The work supports a wider modernisation effort already funded by the service.
Announced on 17 January, the latest deal will "ensure a more efficient and steady flow for the fighters' overall updating process, and expedite their return to operation", says Orlando José Ferreira Neto, commercial vice-president, Embraer Defense and Security.
Embraer received a contract in 2003 to upgrade the electronic systems of the Brazilian air force's AMX fleet. The company expects to fly a single-seat prototype in early 2012 under the programme, and to deliver its first modernised example later in the same year.
© Embraer |
Brazil has an active fleet of 52 AMX strike aircraft, plus 10 two-seat trainers, as listed in Flightglobal's MiliCAS database. These were delivered between 1989 and 2002, it says. The Rolls-Royce Spey-engined type is also operated by the Italian air force.
Source: Flight International