Military Decides to Introduce First Brazilian Military Aircraft

Brazilian Aircraft C-390 Confirmed for Second Phase of Large Transport Aircraft Project

The Brazilian aircraft C-390 has been confirmed as the new large transport aircraft model to perform missions such as military air transport during wartime and peacetime, international peacekeeping, and emergency overseas rescue. This marks the first Brazilian-made military aircraft to be introduced by our military.

C-390 Transport Aircraft (Captured from Embraer website)

On the 4th, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that the 'Large Transport Aircraft Phase 2 Project Model Selection Plan' was reviewed and approved at the 157th Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee held at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Currently, our military operates the C-130J transport aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin in the United States. This model has been deployed not only for military missions but also for humanitarian operations such as the 'Miracle Operation' and 'Promise Operation.' However, this model requires mid-air refueling for long-distance travel.

The 'Large Transport Aircraft Phase 2 Project' aims to secure additional large transport aircraft through overseas procurement, considering the shortage of airlift capacity during wartime and peacetime. The procurement plan was approved at the 142nd Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee in March last year. The candidates for the Phase 2 project included the C-130J, Brazil's Embraer C-390, and Airbus A400M, competing against each other.

Earlier this year, DAPA conducted on-site performance evaluations of each transport aircraft. Among the candidates, Embraer reportedly received high scores for performance, price, offset trade, and especially for the consortium cooperation with domestic companies.

At the same meeting, the 'Next-Generation Fighter (F-X) Phase 2 Project Model Selection Plan' was also approved. This project involves the additional procurement of high-performance stealth fighters through foreign military sales (FMS), which are core forces of the 'Korean 3-Axis System' and the 'Kill Chain.' The Korean 3-Axis System is a concept that combines the Kill Chain, which detects and eliminates enemy missile launch signs before launch, with the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system and the Korean Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) system.

The committee decided to select the F-35A, the same model as in the first phase, as the Phase 2 project model based on test evaluations and negotiation results. The additional F-35As to be introduced in Phase 2 will number 20 units, with the project period extending until 2028. The total project cost is allocated at approximately 4.26 trillion KRW.

Additionally, the 'K21 Infantry Fighting Vehicle Phase 4 Mass Production Plan' and the 'Light Armed Helicopter Phase 2 Mass Production Plan' were reviewed and approved at the same committee meeting. The 'K21 Infantry Fighting Vehicle Phase 2 Project' aims to complete the reorganization of the Army's mobile forces by mass-producing additional K21 infantry fighting vehicles to replace the existing K200A1 armored vehicles. This project will proceed from next year until 2028, with a total project cost of about 780 billion KRW. Also, the 'Light Armed Helicopter Mass Production Project' involves mass-producing light armed helicopters (LAH) to replace the aging current Army 500MD and AH-1S helicopters. The project period is from 2022 to 2031, with a total project cost of approximately 5.75 trillion KRW.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.