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Northrop Grumman and Embraer said they would partner to offer the Brazilian aircraft maker’s KC-390 to the U.S. Air Force, confirming a Feb. 18 report by Aviation Week.
The tie-up, the companies said Feb. 19, also could support “allied nations.”
The partnership is part of a three-pronged Northrop Grumman strategy to break into the aerial refueling business through the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) program, Aviation Week reported. Other elements include a large blended-wing body and a small, uncrewed tanker.
In a joint statement, the companies said that features of the offering include an advanced autonomous aerial refueling boom, enhanced communications and situational awareness and survivability options, among other elements.
Tom Jones, president of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems, said the two companies were “making strategic investments to address the gap in advanced air mobility solutions globally.”
Embraer’s defense boss, Bosco da Costa Junior, in the statement, added, “We will leverage the strengths of two leaders in the defense industry, with a focus on developing a boom refueling system for the KC-390 Millennium.” The aircraft could quickly be added to the U.S. Air Force inventory, he said.
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