Embraer Delivers 23rd upgraded F-5s

Embraer delivered the 23rd modernized F-5 aircraft to the Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea Brasileira – FAB). The aircraft took off from the Company’s Gavião Peixoto facilities and joined the Pampa Wing at Canoas Air Base in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. These F-5 fighters are now designated as the F-5M by the FAB. “We are very proud to have achieved this important milestone in the upgrading of the Brazilian Air Force’s F-5 fleet, contributing a quality leap in terms of readiness, operational capability and the ongoing support of our country’s important air defense assets,” said Luiz Carlos Aguiar, Embraer’s VP, defense and government market. The first plane was presented to Embraer by the FAB in February 2001, and was used as a prototype for the development and testing phases of the F-5BR Program. The complete F-5M squadrons are scheduled to be fully operational in 2009, ready to fly for at least another 15 years.