Embraer announced on 23 November 2023 that it has delivered to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) the fifth and final EMB 145 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft upgraded to the E-99M standard.
The first EMB 145 AEW&C aircraft upgraded under the E-99M programme was delivered to the FAB on 27 November 2020.
“The delivery of the fifth E-99 is an important milestone for the E-99M project. This is the first aircraft delivered in FOC (full operational capability) configuration, with systems fully certified for use by the Brazilian Air Force for protecting the country and its national sovereignty,” Bosco da Costa Junior, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “The four aircraft previously delivered will be upgraded so that they can fully perform all the missions for which they were designed.”
Developed utilising the platform established by the successful ERJ 145 regional jet, the FAB’s E-99s are capable of detecting, tracking, and identifying targets in their coverage zone (reportedly out to a range of 723 km) and transmitting the information via a datalink. The aircraft conduct airspace surveillance, interception control and management, electronic intelligence, and border-monitoring missions.
The E-99M aircraft now features an updated Saab Erieye radar and command-and-control (C2) systems, a new electronic warfare system, a new IFF transponder, seven software-defined V/UHF radios, a new mission audio system with VoIP technology, a new mission audio and data recorder, as well as a datalink function adapted to a new architecture. The interior of the aircraft has also been upgraded to improve crew comfort and expand operating capacity, with five consoles redesigned and optimised for more efficient use of the upgraded systems.
The E-99M programme is led by the Brazilian armed forces’ Combat Aircraft Program Coordinating Committee (COPAC) together with Embraer and international suppliers such as Saab, Aeroelectronica International (AELI), and Rohde & Schwarz. Atech, a subsidiary of Embraer, is also participating in the project by developing part of the C2 system, as well as six mission planning and analysis stations that will provide training and development opportunities for the crews.
The EMB 145 AEW&C platform is also operated by the air forces of India, Mexico, and Greece.
