Brazilian aerospace major Embraer announced to set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) unit in India in partnership with the South Asian country's Mahindra Group. The MRO facility will cater to the C-390 Millennium aircraft after it was selected in the IAF's Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme.
"Embraer is committed to delivering not only a world‑class aircraft, but also a robust, long‑term support ecosystem tailored to India's operational and industrial requirements," Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, said in a statement.
The proposed MRO depot will "provide comprehensive in‑country maintenance and sustainment for the C‑390 fleet", aiding the IAF in attaining high levels of operational readiness, the statement added.
Confirming the development, Mahindra Group's Vinod Sahay said: "A state‑of‑the‑art C‑390 Millennium MRO capability in India would ensure high aircraft availability, enhanced operational autonomy and a comprehensive local sustainment solution for the Indian Air Force throughout the aircraft's lifecycle."
Widely considered as one of the most advanced MTAs in the world, the C-390 Millennium has a payload capacity of 26 tonnes and a range of 2,000 km.
The IAF is on course to revamp its fleet of Medium Transport Aircraft with Embraer's C-390 Millennium emerging as one of the frontrunners, besides Lockheed Martin's C-130J and Airbus' A400M.
The IAF is on course to revamp its fleet of Medium Transport Aircraft with Embraer's C-390 Millennium emerging as one of the frontrunners, besides Lockheed Martin's C-130J and Airbus' A400M.