MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil-Chile plan to build military cargo planes to replace ageing Hercules C-130

The Hercules C-130, one of the most popular military cargo planes in the world

Brazil and Chile announced they will jointly manufacture military cargo airplanes as a first step towards closer long term cooperation in military hardware. The announcement was done by Brazilian Defense minister Nelson Jobim during a visit to Santiago.

“We are going to participate with Chile in the manufacturing of a new cargo aircraft, the KC-390, which will have a similar capacity, or maybe more, than the Hercules C-130” said Jobim.

“We need a dissuasive capacity and technology development”, added Jobim who argued that the K-390 would be very important for the arms industry in the coming eight years “when the current Hercules C-130 begins to be decommissioned world-wide”.

Chilean Defence minister Jaime Ravinet said that military cooperation with Brazil could soon extend to naval affairs, particularly since Chile could collaborate in helping train Brazilian personnel for the Scorpone submersibles Brazil has ordered and which Chile already has two operational.

The Brazilian order includes several conventional Scorpone submarines to be built jointly with France, involving technology transfer, and the country’s first nuclear powered submersible.

In related news Japanese officials and businessmen are in Brazil looking for partnerships in space technology. A Japanese government official with the Economy, Commerce and Industry Ministry says Japan can help the South American countries “expand the use of space information.”

Shuichi Kaneko said Wednesday in Brazil that Japan wants to find ways to jointly develop small satellites to help monitor mineral resources from space.

Brazil has advanced space technology and in recent years has already received help from Japan to develop technology to monitor Amazon deforestation from space.

The Japanese delegation will also travel to Argentina next week and to Peru in September to discuss opportunities in the sector.