The Brazilian air force and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have renewed contract negotiations over Brazil's acquisition of three Boeing 767-300ERs that will be converted into tankers.
Attempts to finalise the terms of the deal – which was agreed in mid-2014 – were delayed by general elections held in Brazil last October.
An initial contract with IAI was signed last year, but the exact details of the conversion plan were not concluded. One of the aircraft will be modified by the company’s Bedek division in Israel, while the other two should be modified in Brazil by TAP subsidiary TAP Manutenção e Engenharia Brasil.
Once operational, the converted 767s will reinstate a jet-based in-flight refuelling capability to the Brazilian air force that lapsed when it retired its four Boeing KC-137s. The replacement assets will be equipped with underwing hose-and-drogue refuelling pods.
IAI – which has previously supplied a single 767 tanker to Colombia – is offering to convert other ex-commercial 767s in a flexible configuration comprising underwing pods, an aerial refuelling boom, or both.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
