The commander of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) met with representatives of Boeing and Saab, with a view to renewing the fleet of maritime patrol and advanced training aircraft.
The FAB informed that this Thursday, in Brasilia (DF), the Commander of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), Lieutenant Brigadier Carlos de Almeida Baptista Junior, received in his office representatives of Boeing for South America and SAAB.
Regional Director Tim Flood was present, accompanied by Business Director Donn Yates; Regional Leader Pablo Weltman, and Business Developers Tomas Karlsson and Kistian Skoog. The meeting was also attended by the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Force Major Valter Borges Malta, and the Chairman of the Combat Aircraft Program Coordinating Commission, Brigadier Antonio Luiz Godoy Soares Mioni Rodrigues.
The first talks between the FAB commander and the Boeing regional director began in July 2022, when they attended the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA 2022), in London.
From the meeting arose the need and interest to complement information on two important Boeing projects. One is the T7A Red Hawk aircraft, developed in collaboration with SAAB, which can be used as an advanced trainer jet. The other is the P-8 Poseidon multi-role maritime patrol aircraft.
According to FAB Commander, Lieutenant-Brigadier Baptista Junior, this meeting was of utmost importance to prospect the future of Maritime Patrol Aviation in Brazil, as it is necessary to discuss the replacement of the P3-AM Orion aircraft, used in long-range patrol.
“The P-8 aircraft is based on the Boeing 737NG platform, with more than 150 units in service. This has turned out to be a very important project and weapon system, especially for a country like ours with 8,500 kilometers of coastline,” he commented.
See also: Boeing delivered 150th P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft
Boeing’s Regional Director for South America, Tim Flood, said, “With this meeting, we can begin to build a partnership for the future and prosperous development of the Brazilian Air Force. This is because we believe that we can contribute in several segments, with the objective of helping to ensure the country’s security”.
Flood also noted that the meeting provided an opportunity to present more information on how to develop programs and modernize aircraft in a way that preserves the environment. “The P-8 is an aircraft that can bring great benefits to Brazil, performing in several segments and being considered one of the best in the world,” he said.
See also: Rollout of the first Boeing/Saab T-7A Red Hawk for the USAF
At the end of the conversation, the FAB commander was invited by Boeing to visit the company’s facilities in Saint Louis (USA) and to test the capabilities of the T7A Red Hawk aircraft in a demonstration flight.
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