Embraer aims to expand sales of military aircraft to Europe

A Embraer sees an opportunity to increase sales of military aircraft to the European Union given the mobilization of countries in the bloc to increase investments in defense, he says Jose Serrador, Global Vice President of Institutional Relations at the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer.

“In the defense sector in particular, the discussions on strategic defense autonomy in Europe that are taking place will bring important opportunities for Embraer and the Brazilian defense industrial base”said Serrador during participation in the 2nd Brazil-European Union Investment Forum, this Tuesday (June 23, 2026), in Brasília.

In June 2025, the leaders of the 32 NATO countries (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) agreed to increase their defense spending to 5% of their respective national GDPs by 2035. The alliance is made up of countries in North America and Europe.

In parallel to the NATO initiative, European leaders have shown increasing concern about strengthening military infrastructure, especially in the face of threats from Russia in the context of the war with Ukraine.

To meet the growth in European demand, Embraer is investing mainly on the KC-390 Millenniummulti-mission military transport aircraft for tactical and logistical use produced by the company.

According to Serrador, Embraer already supplies military equipment to 60 governments around the world. “This is a very important number. 60 armed forces that trust a Brazilian company to be the supplier of defense and security products”said the executive.

Embraer already supplies the KC-390 to countries such as the Netherlands, Austria, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, South Korea and Uzbekistan. Recently, the company also signed a contract with the United Arab Emirates. Serrador also mentioned the EMB-314 Super Tucano, another of the company’s military aircraft that is highly sought after by European countries.

For the vice president of the Brazilian manufacturer, the partnership with the Europeans must go beyond the supply of equipment. Using the KC-390 platform, the executive defends technology transfer initiatives, identification of local suppliers, use of centers of excellence and the establishment of a more solid collaboration program.

“The Mercosur-European Union agreement will allow the two defense industrial bases to integrate in a more important, broader way”he declared.

GRIPEN FIGHTERS

Embraer’s vice president also said that the company plans export the supersonic fighter F39-E Gripen for European countries. The aircraft has advanced combat systems and high operating capacity in different scenarios.

The model is developed by the Brazilian manufacturer in partnership with the Swedish company Saab. “We are very excited about the opportunities, including exploration of this project from Brazil”said the executive.

The construction of the Gripen is part of the FAB (Brazilian Air Force) modernization program, with the transfer of Swedish technology and direct participation of Brazilian engineers in production.