{"id":59625,"date":"2018-10-05T16:44:50","date_gmt":"2018-10-05T16:44:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/10\/05\/boeing-embraer-partnership-on-kc-390-could-involve-engineering-collaboration\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:31:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:31:14","slug":"boeing-embraer-partnership-on-kc-390-could-involve-engineering-collaboration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/the-americas\/2018\/10\/05\/boeing-embraer-partnership-on-kc-390-could-involve-engineering-collaboration\/","title":{"rendered":"Boeing, Embraer partnership on KC-390 could involve engineering collaboration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Boeing and Embraer\u2019s interest in broadening their partnership on the Brazilian firm\u2019s KC-390 cargo plane<\/a> has been no secret, with executives from both companies discussing the possibility of a joint venture in the wake of a tie-up of their commercial business<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a July 5 memorandum of understanding between the companies \u2014 first obtained and reported on<\/a> by The Air Current<\/a> \u2014 reveals that cooperation on the KC-390 program<\/a> could be more extensive than many first imagined<\/a>, with executives seeing opportunities not only for Boeing to help market the plane but also to provide technological and industrial expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The preponderance of the document, which appears to be signed by Embraer CEO Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva and Boeing Chief Financial Officer Gregory Smith, revolves around Boeing and Embraer\u2019s commercial business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a short paragraph points to the opportunity for a joint venture for \u201cKC-390 New Market Sales\u201d to \u201cgrow KC-390 sales and aftermarket opportunities through joint efforts in sales, marketing, engineering and industrial collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boeing and Embraer execs have spoken in general terms about the KC-390 joint venture. At Farnborough Airshow this July, Smith told reporters that part of such an agreement would be to \u201csell that aircraft globally,\u201d while Embraer\u2019s defense head Jackson Schneider hinted that \u201cmuch broader collaboration\u201d<\/a> could be in store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the companies had not publicly acknowledged that Boeing could take a role in technology development or manufacturing \u2014 a prospect that the MOU seems to allude to, lending weight to recent reports that Embraer could build a plant in the United States for KC-390 assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\t