BAE Systems and Embraer Defense & Security have announced plans to embark on a joint study to explore the development of Eve’s electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicle for the defence and security market.
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The joint study builds on Eve’s development for the urban air mobility market and will look at how the aircraft could provide cost-effective, sustainable and adaptable capability as a defence variant.
Engineers from BAE Systems’ Air sector in Lancashire, UK, will work together with the Embraer Defense & Security team based in São José dos Campos, Brazil to explore how a defence variant could be used for a range of applications such as personnel transportation, surveillance and reconnaissance, disaster relief and humanitarian response.
Eve’s eVTOL could help to transform defence operations, whilst reducing their environmental impact – at a much lower operating cost than today’s platforms.
“This collaboration with one of the leading defence companies in the world on this exciting and game-changing technology is in line with our goal to establish strategic partnerships. We look forward to exploring more ways our two organisations can work together and benefit from those rich experiences and reputations. The collaboration allows us to tap into talent from across the globe in our shared interest to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for the skies,” said Jackson Schneider, president and CEO, Embraer Defence & Security.
Ian Muldowney, Chief Operating Officer, BAE Systems Air sector, said: “Bringing together Embraer’s innovative technology in the commercial sector with our extensive defence engineering and systems integration experience will help us to accelerate the pace of new innovations. This joint study is a great example of how we’re delivering against our commitment to collaborate to explore new and sustainable technologies for our customers.”
The all-electric aircraft is part of Embraer’s commitment towards more sustainable aviation and has come out of Eve, an independent company dedicated to accelerating the global Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem. The joint study directly supports BAE Systems’ strategy to accelerate sustainable technology development through increased investment in research and development, as well as working with industry partners, SMEs and academia.