BANGALORE -- Brazil's Embraer S.A. may develop a basic turboprop trainer aircraft jointly with India to meet potential demand from the air forces in both nations, a senior company executive said Friday.
Embraer expects also to shortly win a contract from India to supply nine multi-mission aircraft, Orlando J F Neto, executive vice president for defense market, said.
Embraer is among several defense companies worldwide who are participating at the ongoing Aero India show on expectations that the south Asian country will buy more weapons, aircraft and other defense equipment to modernize its armed forces. India's federal government has allocated a military budget of 1.47 trillion rupees ($32.23 billion) in the current fiscal year through March.
Mr. Neto said the Brazilian air force currently has between 100 and 150 Tucano turboprop trainer aircraft--manufactured by Embraer--which will need to be upgraded or replaced with a new trainer aircraft by 2018.
"So, we will also have a room for replacement and so there is a scope to co-develop and co-produce a basic trainer," Mr. Neto said. "Both countries can probably spend the money equally and produce about 100-150 planes each."
Mr. Neto said "contractual discussions" are on with India for the country's proposed acquisition of nine multi-mission aircraft. Embraer has offered the Legacy aircraft platform for the tender.
"It [the multi-mission aircraft] will be for surveillance, electronic jamming, communication jamming and VIP transportation," he said. "We are in the final stages of discussions."
Mr. Neto said the company will deliver the first of three Embraer 145 jets India has order in the second half of this year. The jets will be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions by the Indian air force.
The jets will come integrated with the Airborne Early Warning and Control system that has been designed and developed by India's government-owned Defense Research & Development Organisation.
Embraer received the $250 million contract for the three jets in 2008.
Mr. Neto said delivery of the remaining two jets will be completed by early next year.
He said there is a possibility to export the Embraer 145 aircraft fitted with the India-developed early warning radar to other countries jointly with India.
"We do see room for exports," he said. "This product will attract attention from other nations in the [Asia-Pacific] region and elsewhere."
