The Brazilian Air Force has taken delivery of its fifth Embraer E-99M surveillance aircraft—the first delivered to the service with full operational capability, the aircraft manufacturer announced.
The military variant of the Embraer’s EMB 145 regional jet is designed for airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) functionality, such as detecting, identifying and tracking targets for missions that include airspace surveillance and border monitoring.
The surveillance aircraft is also operated by air forces in India, Mexico, and Greece, Embraer said.
The delivery marks an important milestone for the E-99M program, according to Bosco da Costa Junior, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security.
“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,” he said. “The four aircraft previously delivered will be upgraded so that they can fully perform all the missions for which they were designed.”
According to Embraer, the upgraded ERJ 145 platform features an updated Erieye radar and command and control (C2) systems, a new electronic warfare system, a new Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponder, seven software-defined V/UHF radios, a new mission audio system with VoIP technology, a new mission audio and data recorder, and a data link function.
