South African Air Force (SAAF) representatives were among a high-level government delegation that was recently given a tour of Embraer’s facilities in Brazil, including C-390 Millenium and A-29 Super Tucano production lies.
Between 7 and 8 November, Embraer welcomed the delegation, comprising key representatives from Denel and the South African Air Force (SAAF). The SAAF delegation was led by Brigadier General Carl Moatshe, Director Air Transport and Maritime Systems, while Denel’s representatives were Lindokuhle Justice Mpanza, Executive Manager for engineering and Continued Airworthiness, and Mante Mahlogonolo Phakathi, Executive Manager in charge of Base maintenance and Upgrades.
The purpose of the visit was for Embraer to showcase the company’s expertise in aeronautical technology, design, assembly and support. The visit included presentations about the company, as well as tours of the assembly lines for commercial and defence aircraft such as the C-390 Millennium airlifter and the A-29 Super Tucano trainer/light attack aircraft. Representatives from the SAAF also explored training facilities, including flight simulators.
“This comprehensive tour provided an opportunity to build strong relationships and explore the potential for establishing industrial partnerships,” Embraer told defenceWeb after the visit.
Strong SAAF interest in the C-390
Embraer recently showcased the C-390 aircraft at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition, held at Air Force Base Waterkloof from 18 to 22 September, presenting the aircraft and its capabilities to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Minister of Defence Angie Motshekga. Embraer said the multi-mission military transport aircraft fully meets the needs of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) as well as other government departments.
“The SANDF has shown interest in the C-390 Millennium, as it advances in the necessary steps for the selection of the much needed strategic lift capability for the SANDF,” the company said following AAD 2024.
Embraer has given South Africa the opportunity to evaluate the aircraft over the last couple of years, first bringing it to South Africa in November 2023, when it was evaluated by the SAAF as well as various government departments – Embraer believes the C-390 is ideal for firefighting, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance and other tasks South Africa needs to accomplish. In April 2024, Embraer officials met with the South African National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) to explain the aircraft’s use for missions such as fire-fighting and humanitarian airlift. South Africa has experienced multiple natural disasters in recent years – including fires and floods – while the SAAF is in need of transport aircraft to support its international peace mission obligations.
Embraer said the C-390 could easily take on missions for the South African National Defence Force, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, as well as the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. These range from the transport of freight, personnel and vehicles for peace keeping operations to special operations, humanitarian support, medical evacuation, search and rescue, maritime surveillance, fire fighting, air to air refuelling, and disaster management.
“This aircraft is currently the most modern and high performing in its category,” Embraer said, adding that it can operate from austere airfields to carry out a wide variety of missions. Since its entry into service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019, the C-390 has carried out numerous humanitarian aid and medical evacuation missions, saving thousands of lives. On a daily basis, the C-390 Millennium transports soldiers, personnel, supplies, and both civilian and military vehicles, a capability highly valued for peacekeeping missions and disaster management. More recently, the C-390 has contributed to environmental protection in Brazil by fighting wildfires in the Pantanal region, dropping up to 11 tons of water per pass over the fires.
This tactical transport aircraft is capable of being refuelled in flight, allowing it to cover long distances at Mach 0.8 or undertake extended missions. It can also perform air to air refuelling missions for other aircraft thanks to special pods installed on its wings.
“It is interesting to note that South Africa shares many similarities with Brazil, particularly in terms of geography and operational needs. Both countries have vast territories with remote and often challenging environments, including large forested areas and numerous austere airfields,” Embraer said. “Additionally, both nations rely on the Swedish designed Saab JAS-39 Gripen fighter jet, which is capable of air-to-air refuelling for the protection of their national airspace. This makes the C-390 Millennium an even more relevant and practical choice for the South African Air Force, offering not only cutting-edge capabilities but also enhancing the interoperability with Brazilian Air Force.”
“Beyond its versatility, reliability, and top-tier performance, which make it the best aircraft in its category, the C-390 also offers very attractive operating and maintenance costs. These qualities explain the growing commercial success of this mission-proven aircraft with numerous clients, including Sweden, South Korea, Portugal, Brazil, Hungary, Austria, and the Netherlands to replace their legacy aircraft,” Embraer concluded. Slovakia is in the process of acquiring three C-390s.
The C-390 has been selected by many nations to replace their C-130 Hercules fleets – the C-390 can fly nearly twice as fast as the C-130, and carries a greater payload (26 tons versus around 20 tons). For the South African Air Force, the C-390 would enable faster and more efficient transport of troops and equipment to places like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the SANDF has peacekeepers deployed.
