The first KC-390 plane, of the five purchased by Portugal from the Brazilian company Embraer, arrived today at the air base of Beja, where will you be based, informed the Portuguese Air Force.
In a statement on its website, the Air Force said that the aircraft arrived this morning, “escorted by two F-16Msâ€, at Air Base No 11 (BA11), in Beja.
Before handing over the plane to the Air Force, “the integration of NATO equipment and certified by the National Aeronautical Authority will now be carried outâ€, still according to the same information, also shared on social networks with video images of the arrival of the new aircraft.
In July, the minister of national defense, João Gomes Cravinho, revealed that the Beja air base will be the “headquarters†of the five KC-390 aircraft.
“Beja is a city that will benefit a lot from the investment of the Portuguese Air Force†(FAP) “for the next few yearsâ€, highlighted the minister, during a visit to BA11.
after being assembled in Brazil 2019 to purchase from Embraer of five KC-390 Millenium, that will replace the Hercules C-130, for a value of 827 million.
Lidador News: Interview with General CEMFA about the Embraer 3 July
Exclusively to Lidador News (LN), after the flag-raising ceremony that marked the commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the Portuguese Air Force (FAP), General Cartaxo Alves (in the photo to the center), Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CEMFA), about the arrival of Brazilian aircraft and the arrival of the BA6 Squadron, Montijo, revealed that “I don't know if the Bisons will come, but the KC will be for sureâ€, justified.
Remember that in that unit of the FAP is Esquadra 501-“bison”, which operates the C-130H and Squadron 502-“elephants”, os Airbus C-295M, both dedicated to transport, what is the new KC-390 aircraft like
O General CEMFA, concluded that “the infrastructures at BA11 and also in the Bairro are being reformulated, which will be ready in August/September and from that date on we will receive the first aircraft that will not enter directly into the workforceâ€, adding that from and Beja, read BA11, “the aircraft will take two months/two and a half months to carry out an operational assessment and to insert equipment that will only be inserted in Portugal, that has to do with FAP engineeringâ€, materialized.
Cartaxo Alves, detailed that later the KC-390 “will undergo tests and then its certification, so that in March 2023 enter the Air Force device and can begin to cross the skies of Beja operationallyâ€, concluded.
Finally, the Air Force Chief of Staff assured that, “From there, the entire device, either people or aircraft, and from that date (March of 2023) will begin to arrive sequentially in Beja … for sureâ€, finished off Cartaxo Alves.
Near 10 million investments in BA11
An investment 9,8 million euros is earmarked for the construction of the building for the Police Station 501 and for the flight simulator, works that will cost 5,3 million, and the upgrade of the hangar 131-264. The hangar target of major requalification, it was for many years “to home” dos Alpha-Jet, from Squad 103-“snails”, suspended in 2018 with the end of life of aircraft received from Germany.
new flight simulator
at almost 10 million, together with the acquisition of five KC-390 aircraft and the flight simulator, which involves an amount exceeding 606 million, to which they join more 221 million, both plus VAT, the latter heading referring to logistical services, road access to it will also benefit. These expenses were authorized by the Council of Ministers of 11 July 2019, for the acquisition of those assets from the Embraer consortium, road access to it will also benefit, SADDLE.
Trained in Brazil
used for elementary and basic piloting instruction, used for elementary and basic piloting instruction, have already been trained in Brazil with the Ala 2, in Anópolis, with the staff of the 1st Troop Transport Group “Zeus Squadron”, of the Brazilian Air Force. used for elementary and basic piloting instruction 2021.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
Photo: DR
