With extensive experience in meeting its customers’ requirements and the market’s needs, Embraer is considered one of the most important international companies in both the sectors of commercial & civil aviation and defense & security, as it offers the best aircraft and a full range of integrated solutions and applications. To learn more about Embraer Defense & Security and its most important products and markets, Al-Jundi Journal interviewed Mr. Jackson Schneider, President, and CEO of the company, and had the following dialogue with him:
Talk to us about Embraer and its fields of work and the most prominent products the company offers to its customers?
With more than 50 years in the aerospace industry, Embraer is known worldwide for the quality and excellence of its aircraft, achieving remarkable recognition as a world leader in the segment of commercial jets with up to 150 seats and for the line of executive jets.
Embraer also has unique and innovative solutions for the defense and security markets, which are present in more than 60 countries, such as the multi-mission C-390 Millennium and the light-attack A-29 Super Tucano.
How important is the UAE and GCC market to Embraer?
In 2011, Embraer expanded its institutional presence in the Gulf region by opening a marketing and sales office in Dubai, with a focus on opening new markets and approaching important customers in several market segments.
In terms of regional customers, Lebanon, for example, currently operates the A-29 Super Tucano for training, in addition to commercial and executive planes flying in some countries in the region.
Today, we see very good opportunities in the region for defense and security products. However, we are not looking only for sales, but strategic partnerships and new developments.
Embraer Defense & Security is in a unique position to build customized solutions, including real collaboration for achieving win-win results.
How do you assess the cooperation between your company and GCC countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates?
Since 2014, Embraer Defense & Security has been expanding its presence and cooperation with GCC countries and the UAE. For example, Embraer was present in several editions of IDEX in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Air Show, World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia, and EDEX in Egypt, among several other events.
Embraer has brought the A-29 Super Tucano and C-390 aircraft for exhibitions and demonstrations to military forces around the region and it invited and received several representatives of regional governments and military entities as well as defense companies from the region in its facilities in Brazil.
Embraer has also played a key role in expanding the gov-to-gov collaboration among countries and Brazil for defense matters, in addition to supporting the signing of several defense agreements in the region.
What are Embraer’s investments in the UAE and who do you primarily work with?
Embraer maintains an open dialogue with several players in the UAE, for several potential defence projects, including the EDGE Group, which is exploring opportunities with Embraer to integrate its weapon systems onto the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, through its subsidiary HALCON.
What are your most prominent projects for the next stage?
Besides products already established in the markets, such as the A-29 Super Tucano and the C-390 Millennium, looking forward to future projects, Embraer is offering the P600 AEW&C, designed to compete in a new segment of the AEW&C market. This next-generation aircraft, based on the Praetor 600 business jet, addresses the growing demand of the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance market for countries that require cost-effective, high-performance, and flexible solutions for defense and national security missions.
Embraer offers integrated solutions for Border Surveillance and Monitoring that encompass the complete surveillance cycle, from data collection and transfer to its analysis and interpretation, delivering reliable information to support decision-makers.
In terms of innovations and the future, Embraer announced some environmental goals last year. Currently, Embraer has more than 4,000 employees committed to research and development, and we are focused on adopting and adapting techniques, technologies, and materials to deliver sustainable and affordable solutions to meet the world’s aviation, defense, and security challenges.
Our priority is to have strategic partners and invest in R&D in search of solutions such as electrification and sustainable aviation so that we have the necessary innovations for this scenario.
Last July, Embraer and BAE Systems announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) confirming an intent to create a joint venture to develop a defense variant of Eve’s electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. The companies intend to create a joint venture that will bring together the complementary skills of Embraer and BAE Systems to pursue the potential development of a defense variant, with Eve being the platform provider.
What are your recent biggest accomplishments in the defense sector?
In terms of products, in addition to the Brazilian Air Force, the Hungarian Defense Force and the Portuguese Armed Forces have signed orders for the aircraft.
In June, 2022 the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced the selection of a fleet of five C-390 Millennium aircraft, reflecting the aircraft’s performance and operational output, which is expected to succeed its current fleet of C-130 Hercules.
The Netherlands Ministry of Defence conducted rigorous research comparing the C-390 Millennium and the C-130J and concluded “that the C-390 has higher availability and needs considerably less maintenance,” meaning that more hours can be flown with the same number of aircraft.
The C-390M has a multi-mission concept, whereby the required mission types are incorporated in a standard configuration.”
In another development, Embraer and the Brazilian Army signed a contract to develop and implement Phase Two of the Army’s Strategic Program for the Integrated Border Monitoring System (SISFRON), which is one of the world’s largest border surveillance projects.
In terms of new trends, we are seeing the defense sector facing new threats, such as the even more intensive use of cyber and space technologies. Therefore, recognizing the demand for sophisticated cyber-security solutions for defense, Embraer acquired Brazil-based Tempest Security Intelligence, a complete solution provider for business protection in the digital world.
What are Embraer’s short and long-term goals?
In the long term, the objective is to decarbonize direct and indirect operations, thus we are working on the development of electric and hybrid models, with a commitment to achieving carbon-neutral operations by 2040. In this sense, Embraer has some initiatives such as the eVTOL, a 100% electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle, which is expected to arrive to the market in 2026.
Embraer also already has executive aircraft using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and is working to expand this solution to commercial aviation and defense aircraft such as the C-390 Millennium and the A-29 Super Tucano.
Would you like to send any message through Al-Jundi Journal to the defense community?
Investments in defense innovation have been extremely fruitful in generating benefits for the private sector in several countries, with visible and tangible effects.
This can be seen in the experience of highly qualified workers originating from military academies or research institutes that work on cutting-edge projects for private companies.
To meet these new demands and challenges, Embraer has made investments to offer the best and most complete market solutions that go well beyond the aircraft, with customized solutions for air, land, sea, space, and cyber. As an exporter by nature and with a global customer base, Embraer has promoted a progressive internationalization of its operations, with the strategic objective of securing new business and strengthening the brand in selected markets, but also establishing meaningful partnerships around the world.
Profile
– Jackson Schneider
– The current President and Chief Executive Officer of Embraer Defense & Security
– Started his carrier within the Ministry of Justice and in the private sector, he was the Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs at Unilever and Vice President of Human Resources, Legal Relations and Corporate Affairs of Mercedes-Benz do Brasil.
– Joined Embraer in 2011 and held the position of Vice President of People, Institutional Relations, and Sustainability.
– Became President and CEO of Embraer’s Defense & Security unit in 2014.
– Has a Law degree from the University of Brasília (UNB) and an MBA from the Business School of São Paulo.
– President of ANFAVEA (Brazilian Association of Vehicle Manufacturers) and ABIPLA (Brazilian Association of Manufacturers of Cleaning Products, and Related Items).
» Interviewed by: «AlJundi»
