Brazil’s Embraer to build NATO-approved aircraft in Portugal

On Friday, Brazil’s Defence Minister Jose Mucio said that Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA) and Portuguese aerospace company OGMA would build NATO-compliant aircraft.

Embraer, 65% of OGMA’s capital, makes many planes, including the “Super Tucano” light attack aircraft.

The NATO-configured A-29 Super Tucano was unveiled last week to fulfill European needs.

Mucio previously argued that constructing the Super Tucano and other aircraft in Brazil to export in Europe did not always meet NATO regulations.

Mucio said NATO certification of the company’s aircraft may open doors in Europe and elsewhere and that Portuguese production was “important because it already meets NATO’s pre-requisites”.

“We are going to manufacture Brazilian aircraft with NATO characteristics,” said Mucio, who is in Portugal with other ministers for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s five-day state visit.

Monday brings the Brazilian delegation to OGMA’s Lisbon headquarters.

Embraer wants to sell more KC-390 military cargo planes abroad.

Portugal purchased five Embraer KC-390 military transport aircraft and a flight simulator for 827 million euros in 2019. Sweden and Colombia are interested in buying it.

Last week, two sources indicated Austria was seeking to purchase four or five Embraer KC-390 military transport planes.

Mucio claimed Embraer planned to sell more KC-390s in Europe.

“President (Lula) wants to encourage and increase investment in the Brazilian defence industry,” Mucio added.