Document attested that the sensor modernization project of this aircraft meets the safety and performance requirements foreseen in the contract
DCTA, by Lieutenant Carolina Redlich and Lieutenant Gabrielle Varela
The Industrial Promotion and Coordination Institute (IFI) delivered, on May 04, by the hands of the General Director of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA), Air Lieutenant Brigadier Maurício Augusto Silveira de Medeiros, the Final Supplemental Type Certificate for the Modernized E-99 to Embraer, the company responsible for the aircraft modernization.
The issuance of the certificate, a result of the work of technicians from IFI’s Aerospace Product Certification Division (CPA) – in interaction with Embraer – certifies that the project to modernize the sensors of this aircraft meets the safety and performance requirements set forth in the contract. This means that the aircraft can fly safely and is capable of fulfilling the mission determined by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB).
According to the Chief of the IFI’s Technical Advisory, Lieutenant Colonel Gustavo Borges Basílio, the E-99M performs a very important mission for the country. “The certification of its modernization, carried out by Embraer together with the IFI, promotes a considerable improvement in the Brazilian strategic capacity, in the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task, in addition to the Alert in Flight and Control and Alarm in Flight Actions,” he said.
During the ceremony, Lieutenant Brigadier Medeiros commented on the E-99 modernization process, highlighting the importance of these aircraft and the relevance of the joint work of IFI and Embraer on behalf of FAB. “Congratulations to Embraer engineering, which worked on the conception of this project, and to IFI, which certified the entire process involving the modernization of the E-99 fleet. For me, this moment has a very special meaning, because I had the privilege of participating in the deployment of the R-99 A/B at the Second of the Sixth Aviation Group (2nd/6th GAV) and, today, I have the satisfaction of signing this certificate,” he said.
Also during the event, Embraer Vice President and Chief Engineer Henrique Langenegger especially thanked the IFI’s work, in the person of its Director, Aviator Colonel Luiz Marcelo Terdulino de Brito, mentioning the numerous activities involved in the certification of the E-99 modernization. “There were many trips abroad to perform the tests, as well as planning workshops to expedite the work. The IFI was always willing to cooperate for the activity to be carried out,” he commented.
Background
The modernization of the E-99 aircraft introduced modifications to the Erieye Mission System, with the installation of new consoles, new radios, and the implementation of audio and mission data recording, increasing command and control capabilities, especially in composite air operations. The certification process began in 2018, under the responsibility of the CPA. Development and certification trials took place from 2020 to 2023, despite the impacts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Throughout the process, 434 contractual requirements were verified, distributed among 30 different technologies, and more than 250 technical reports were produced. The Working Group responsible for the certification activities involved about 60 people, with the collaboration of the Institute of Aeronautics and Space (IAE), the Galeão Aeronautical Material Park (PAMA-GL), the Monitoring and Control Group – Combat Aircraft Program (GAC-PAC), the Institute of Research and Flight Testing (IPEV) and the Second Squadron of the Sixth Aviation Group (2nd/6th GAV – Guardian Squadron), responsible for operating the aircraft.
Photos: Corporal J. Alves / DCTA