Article Posted on : - Jan 19, 2011

The AMX fighter. A Brazilian Air Force photo

SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS (BNS): Brazilian Air Force has awarded a contract to Embraer to upgrade its fleet of AMX fighter-bomber aircraft.

Under the contract, which is an extension of a previous contract awarded to Embraer in 2003, the company will overhaul a total of 43 AMX fighters.

The original modernisation contract focused on upgrading the electronic systems of the AMX jets, called A-1 by the Brazilian Air Force.

The new agreement deals with a structural overhaul and the repair and substitution of other outdated equipment, Embraer said, without disclosing the contract amount.

The company expects to begin flight testing of the first fully refurbished single-seat AMX fighter by early 2012 before delivering it to the Brazilian Air Force by end 2012.

The AMX fighters/bombers have been the frontline attack aircraft in the Brazilian Air Force over the last two decades.

Built by AMX International, an Italian-Brazilian joint venture, the ground-attack aircraft has been designed for battlefield interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance missions.