Embraer develops Morocco links as it looks to secure KC/C-390 sale

Embraer, which has ambitions to sell its KC/C-390 Millennium tanker-transport aircraft to Morocco, has sent a delegation to the country as part of a wider effort to foster closer defence aerospace ties. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

Embraer has sent “a high-level delegation” to Morocco to assess the country's aerospace supply chain ahead of future bilateral co-operation, the Brazilian company said on 24 April.

The visit followed an October 2024 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the government of Morocco and Embraer to explore potential joint projects, and came months after it was revealed in the same month that the North African country had attended the KC/C-390 Millennium Users Group Conference.

“Embraer sees significant opportunities for business and industrial collaboration as both Brazil and the Kingdom of Morocco share a strong commitment to deepening co-operation and investment. These opportunities span across commercial aviation, defence, and urban air mobility,” the company said. “The co-operation could also include training programmes, MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) capabilities, and additional areas for potential collaboration, such as research and technology.”

In October 2024 a company slide was posted to social media showing Morocco as one of 10 attendees of the KC/C-390 user group conference. As well as known customers Austria, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, and South Korea, the slide showed Chile, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as three previously undisclosed customers or potential future customers (although Chile has previously signed a letter of intent to acquire the tanker-transport aircraft). Since this meeting, Sweden has declared its intent to acquire the platform.

In response to a request for information on Morocco's potential participation in the KC/C-390 programme, Embraer told Janes