NEW DELHI: Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer has offered to establish a full-scale assembly line for its C-390 Millennium transport aircraft in India if the platform is selected under the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme, a move that could significantly expand India’s role in the global military aviation supply chain.Speaking to FlightGlobal, Embraer Defence & Security chief marketing officer Marcio Monteiro said the company is prepared to transfer substantial manufacturing capability to India as part of its proposal.“We are willing to transfer everything, as much as possible,” Monteiro told Flight Global.“We are also talking to our supply chain, checking with them what can be transferred to India, given the size of the potential order,” he added.The proposal comes as the Indian Air Force moves forward with plans to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet-origin AN-32 transport aircraft, one of the most important tactical airlift platforms in Indian service.Embraer’s India planTo strengthen its bid, Embraer has partnered with Mahindra and says it is prepared to replicate its existing production ecosystem in India.“We are working very hard with Mahindra in India to be ready for this bid,” Embraer chief executive Francisco Gomes Neto said.According to Monteiro, the proposed Indian facility would, at a minimum, mirror Embraer’s production complex in Gavião Peixoto, Brazil, where structural assembly and final assembly of the C-390 are currently carried out.Depending on the localisation requirements set by the Indian government, the company could also establish facilities for manufacturing major structural components, significantly increasing indigenous content.Beyond domestic production, Embraer has suggested that an Indian assembly line could eventually manufacture aircraft for export markets, integrating Indian industry into the global C-390 supply chain and positioning India as a regional production hub.The offer aligns closely with New Delhi’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, which seek greater technology transfer, domestic manufacturing and export-oriented defence production.
IAF Requirement for MTA
The race to replace the AN-32The C-390 Millennium is among the leading contenders in the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft competition.The programme is intended to replace the AN-32 fleet, which has served as the backbone of India’s tactical airlift capability for decades.Competing platforms are understood to include the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules and the Airbus A400M Atlas.The competition is expected to be one of the most important air mobility acquisitions undertaken by the Indian Air Force in the coming years, with the selected aircraft likely to remain in service for decades.Why Embraer believes the C-390 fits India’s needsEmbraer argues that the C-390 offers a combination of speed, payload capacity and operational flexibility that makes it particularly suitable for India’s diverse geography and military requirements.Powered by jet engines, the aircraft can cruise at approximately 870 km/h, making it significantly faster than both the AN-32 and the C-130J.The higher speed could allow the Indian Air Force to move troops, military equipment and humanitarian assistance more rapidly across the country, particularly during emergencies or military contingencies.India’s air mobility requirements span a wide range of environments, from high-altitude regions in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh to island territories in the Andaman and Nicobar chain and desert sectors along the western frontier.According to Embraer, the C-390 is capable of operating from semi-prepared, damaged and soft-field runways. The aircraft features reinforced landing gear and low-pressure tyres designed for operations away from conventional airbases.This capability could allow the aircraft to operate from advanced landing grounds in the Northeast, forward locations in Ladakh and remote island airstrips across the Indian Ocean region.The ability to rapidly reinforce the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is becoming increasingly important as India’s strategic focus expands across the Indo-Pacific.How it compares with rivalsWhile the Airbus A400M offers substantially greater payload capacity of around 37 tonnes and stronger strategic airlift capabilities, it is also considerably larger and more expensive to acquire and operate.The C-130J, meanwhile, has an established operational record with the Indian Air Force and is widely regarded as one of the most capable tactical transport aircraft in service globally.Embraer is positioning the C-390 between these two aircraft, offering greater speed and payload than the C-130J while avoiding the higher acquisition and operating costs associated with the larger A400M.The company believes this balance could make the aircraft particularly attractive for India’s medium transport requirement.
