In the meantime, the Brazilian defense ministry has authorized the rapid acquisition of two strategic transport and refueling aircraft. Initiated in mid-May, Project KC-X3 has been justified following the nation’s response to the Covid pandemic, which was hampered by the lack of large aircraft to transport medical supplies to the Amazon region. The FAB’s most recent large jet transport, a leased Boeing 767, was withdrawn in 2018, leaving the Covid supply burden to fall on the first few KC-390s to be delivered and the C-130 Hercules.
As well as its transport requirements, the FAB also needs a large aircraft for refueling its forthcoming Gripen fighter fleet, especially to support overseas deployments. Attempts to provide a large tanker/transport have so far been fruitless: two Israeli-modified Boeing 767 tanker/transports were on order to replace the FAB’s four elderly Boeing KC-707s that were retired in 2013 but the deal came to nothing. In January, a request to buy a pair of used Airbus A330s for transport duties was not approved.
For Project KC-X3 the most likely candidates are the A330 and Boeing 767, although given the extra cost of full military-spec aircraft versus second-hand commercial aircraft, the tanker element of the requirement may be eliminated.