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Embraer and Boeing to Establish Strategic Partnership

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a strategic

partnership between Boeing and Embraer has been signed

by senior managers of both companies. The non-binding

agreement proposes forming a joint venture, comprising the

commercial aircraft and services business of Embraer, which

would strategically align with Boeing’s commercial development,

production, marketing and lifecycle services operations. Under

the terms of the deal, which was inked on July 5, Boeing will

hold an 80% ownership stake in the joint venture and Embraer

the remainder.

Both companies report they will benefit from a broader scale,

resources and footprint, including global supply chain, sales and

marketing, and services network, enabling them to capture benefits

from efficiencies across the organisations. Additionally, the strategic

partnership will provide opportunities to share best practices in

manufacturing and within the development programmes.

“The agreement with Boeing will create the most important

strategic partnership in the aerospace industry, strengthening

both company’s leadership in the global market,” said Paulo Cesar

de Souza e Silva, Embraer president and CEO. “The business

combination with Boeing is expected to create a virtuous cycle for

the Brazilian aerospace industry, increasing its sales potential,

production, creating jobs and income, investments and exports,

and in doing so, adding more value to customers, shareholders

and employees.”

On finalisation, the joint venture will be led by Brazil-based

management, including a president and CEO. Boeing will have

operational and management control, which will report directly to

Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing’s chairman, president and CEO. The

joint venture will be fully integrated into Boeing’s broader production

and supply chain.

In addition, both companies will create another combined

undertaking to promote and develop new markets and applications

for defence products and services, especially the KC-390 multi-

mission aircraft, based on jointly-identified opportunities. “Joint

investments in the global marketing of the KC-390, as well as a

series of specific agreements in the fields of engineering, research

and development and the supply chain, will enhance mutual

benefits and further enhance the competitiveness of Boeing and

Embraer,” said Nelson Salgado, Embraer’s executive vice president,

financial and investor relations.

Work to finalise the deal is expected to continue in the

coming months following which it will be subject to shareholder

and regulatory approvals, including sign-off from the Brazilian

Government. Assuming all goes to plan, the transaction is

expected to be completed by the end of next year.

Turkey has received its first Lockheed Martin

F-35A Lightning, despite reports of mounting

opposition from US lawmakers in Washington.

The aircraft, serial number 18-001, was

handed over at a special ceremony on June

21 at the factory in Fort Worth, Texas.

Turkey’s proposed purchase of S-

surface-to-air missiles from Russia has

sparked concerns in the US Senate.

Worries are centred around the possible

evaluation of the F-35’s capabilities by

unauthorised foreign powers. Turkey plans

to acquire 100 F-35s.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin delivered

the 300th production F-35 to the USAF in

June. The Alpha variant has been assigned

to the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, Utah.

Since the first delivery began in May 2011,

three production facilities in Texas, Italy

and Japan have combined to produce 197

F-35As, 75 F-35Bs and 28 F-35Cs. So far

more than 620 pilots have been trained to

fly the jet, and the fleet has chalked up more

than 140,000 flight hours.

Dassault Mirage 2000N 357/125-CO

from the French Air Force’s EC 02.

has received special markings to

commemorate the type’s withdrawal from

service after 30 years on the front line.

All operational use of the fighters is

expected to stop by the end of this

summer, and the jets are scheduled to

go into storage at Châteaudun in northern

France and be replaced by Dassault

Rafales. Marco Rossi

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 5

Special Retirement Livery for French Mirage

First Turkish F-35A Delivered

Mirage 2000N 357 125-CO wearing its

special colour scheme at Nancy-Ochey,

France, on June 29. Marco Rossi

Turkish Air Force F-35As are rolling off the Lockheed Martin production line. The second example

for the nation, 18-002, flew for the first time from Fort Worth on June 8. Carl Richards

Lightning II Makes Combat Debut

Israel has announced that it committed

Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs to

combat on May 22, the first time the type

has been used in battle. The Israeli Air

Force reportedly used Lightnings, known

locally as the Adir (Hebrew for ‘mighty’),

in two recent strikes in the Middle East

(the targets were not disclosed). The

IAF’s 140 ‘Golden Eagle’ Squadron is

currently operating nine F-35As and

expects to receive six more this year.

Tom Kaminski

04-05_headline_newsDC.mf.indd 5 09/07/2018 14: