Brazil: Development Funding for a New Tanker Transport

Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said April 14 in Rio de Janeiro at an aerospace and defense show that Embraer will move ahead with a new tanker transport design. The decision comes at a critical time for Embraer as it attempts to address the effects of the global financial crisis and actually move ahead with building a transport aircraft, which has long been only a set of marketing drawings and very basic specifications. If Embraer is able to effectively bring this concept to reality, it will be a significant demonstration of its capacity to apply its expertise and experience to more specialized military designs and potentially rival the venerable Lockheed C-130 "Hercules."