Brazil Proposes KC-390 Aircraft to India, Considers Buying Brahmos, Akash Missiles

Brazil has offered its KC-390 Millennium transport aircraft to India, while also expressing interest in procuring Brahmos and Akash missiles from the country.

The move comes as two Brazilian defense delegations are set to visit India this month to explore collaboration on various defense projects, as per multiple reports.

The visit by the Brazilian delegations is a culmination of years of behind-the-scenes interactions between the two countries, with the aim of strengthening bilateral defense ties. In 2023, the Indian defense industry took part in the LAAD (DefExpo) in Rio, with attendance from representatives of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, Bharat Dynamics Ltd., Yantra India Ltd., Bharat Electronics, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd., and the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos. In May 2023, an Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary Anurag Bajpai visited Brazil and held meetings with senior defense officials.

India signed a contract with the Philippines in 2022 and delivered the first batch of the supersonic missiles on April 19, 2024. Other countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Cuba, and Vietnam, have also expressed interest in the Brahmos missile, with Malaysia keen on the air-launched variant and Vietnam interested in a shore-based, anti-ship variant.

The Brazilian company Embraer has been pitching its C-390 aircraft for the Indian Air Force's (IAF) tender for Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA), with a potential procurement of 80 aircraft. Meanwhile, the Brazilian Army is interested in acquiring the Brahmos mid-range cruise missile, which has been jointly developed by India and Russia.

Additionally, Brazil has shown interest in the Akash surface-to-air missile system, which India recently exported to Armenia in a deal worth ₹6,000 crore ($750 million). The country is also keen on setting up joint production hubs with India to manufacture weapons systems for Latin American countries, reports say.