Article Posted on : - Apr 14, 2011

RIO DE JANEIRO (BNS): Brazilian defence firm Embraer has entered into partnership with Israel’s AEL Sistemas, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, to jointly develop, produce and market unmanned aerial vehicles and related components.

The agreement was announced during the ongoing Latin America Aero & Defence (LAAD) 2011 exhibition in Rio de Janeiro on April 12.

The collaboration will also explore the possibility of creating a new JV company with Embrear holding the majority stake, the company said.

“The UAS (unmanned aerial systems) are a reality and a need for solutions on defense and security, and Embraer Defense and Security considers that this agreement intends to strengthen both companies’ ability to offer solutions with an excellent cost-benefit ratio for the Brazilian Government,” said Luiz Carlos Aguiar, President of Embraer Defense and Security.

Shlomo Erez, President of AEL Sistemas, said: “For AEL, this cooperation agreement with Embraer is an important step toward the consolidation of our objectives related to the development of UAS competences in Brazil.

“The participation with Embraer will leverage new business, speeding up the Brazilian know-how in the development and manufacture of unmanned systems with last generation technology, in order to meet the demands and specific needs of our country.”

The partnership envisages joint activities in marketing, development, systems integration, manufacturing and support of UAS, as well as in simulators and activities for the modernisation of avionics systems, and the possible participation of Embraer Defense and Security in the capital of AEL Sistemas.

Both the companies, in the past, have partnered in the production of different defence systems.

AEL was one of the first suppliers of systems for the turboprop Tucano basic trainer and the subsonic fighter AMX, the aircraft manufactured by Embraer in the 1980s and 1990s.

Currently, the Israeli company provides avionics, the turboprop light attack and advanced training Super Tucano, as well as avionics of fighter F-5M, modernised by Embraer for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB).