Brazil seeks successor to Bandeirante

During a meeting on 20 January 2023 with president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the commander of the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force) stated that their three primary acquisition projects were the F-39 Gripen NG, the KC-390 Millennium and the C-408 light transport aircraft.

The latter is required to replace the ageing EMB110 Bandeirante fleet, named C-95 in the Brazilian Air Force. Obviously, this seems more than a hint towards the Cessna 408 SkyCourier. It would benefit from commonality with the Cessna 208 Caravan (C-98) that is already operated by FAB.

In the past, the locally produced DESAER ATL-100 has been mentioned in connection with the light transport requirement as well. But that is still in a fledgling state while the Ce408 has been fully developed, certified and is being delivered to Fedex, albeit in the cargo version. Further details were not disclosed.

Photo by Kenneth I. Swartz (via AirHistory.net)