As we celebrate India’s Independence Day, it is a poignant moment to reflect how far the country has progressed on the global stage, more so this year, with India heading the G20 Presidency.

Over the past few years, ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ has evolved to be a cornerstone of India’s defence approach. At the Aero India event held earlier this year, it was evident to see how the push for a self-reliant Indian armed forces has strengthened the domestic industries and helped boost national security in an ever-evolving global situation. As pointed out recently, by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, it is also fulfilling the security needs of India’s allies.

Embraer is a global leader in aviation and defence with a successful track record of cooperation with India - from the entry of the Legacy 600 used by the government for VIP transport to the Indian Air Force’s AWACS project. We see great opportunities for further collaboration in the country and we are keen to extend our presence and establish partnerships that can further boost the country’s ambitions for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. On top of that, the bond between India and Brazil is strong – this year marks the 75th year of diplomatic relations – and we must leverage those strong ties.

A great example of collaboration is the Netra AEW&C platform. For the development of this aircraft Embraer embarked on a mission together with the DRDO to develop a leading edge AEW&C system based on the ERJ145 platform – India’s first indigenously developed surveillance plane. It was a large undertaking where engineering and technology knowledge was exchanged resulting in an aircraft that expanded the strategic resources and capabilities of the Indian Air Force.

“We are keen to extend our presence and establish partnerships that can further boost the country’s ambitions for Atmanirbhar Bharat”

Fast forward to 2023, we see the C-390 Millennium as potentially the next phase of collaboration in the defence area as the country seeks out medium transport aircraft (MTA) options in the market. The C-390 is the next-generation medium airlift, and its multi-mission concept makes it very adaptable to the needs of each customer. The aircraft was on display at Aero India this year and we took our guests on a visit of the aircraft – both on the ground and in the air. The positive feedback has spurred us on.

This year, the C-390 has hit several notable milestones. It achieved the Full Operational Capability (FOC) with the Brazilian Air Force in April. The FOC certificate confirms that the C-390 Millennium project meets all the requirements defined by Air Force and that the aircraft can carry out all missions for which it was designed.

The sixth C-390 multi-mission aircraft was delivered to the Brazilian Air Force, in June, just before the Paris Air Show and featured the FOC configuration. Since entering operation with FAB, in 2019, the C-390 has proven its capacity, reliability, and performance. The current fleet of six aircraft, all in the aerial refuelling version, designated KC-390, has already accumulated more than 9,300 flight hours. Recent figures show an operational availability of around 80 per cent, with a mission completion rate above 99 per cent, demonstrating exceptional productivity in the category.

The C-390 Millennium has orders from Portugal and Hungary, both NATO member countries and the delivery of the first KC-390 Millennium for the Portuguese Air Force, fitted with NATO equipment, is imminent. The Netherlands, also a member of NATO, selected the C-390 Millennium in 2022.