Embraer, in collaboration with the Brazilian Army (EB), has achieved a successful experimental test of the M200 Vigilante radar in a realistic environment. This achievement involved deploying the radar equipment on the Brazilian Air Force’s KC-390 aircraft and conducting operations at Júlio Belém Airport in Parintins, Amazonas, during June and July 2023. The Municipality of Parintins and administrators of Júlio Belém and Viracopos Airports also supported the initiative.
The selection of Júlio Belém Airport was influenced by the Parintins Folk Festival, which led to a notable increase in regional air traffic. Thousands of festival attendees arrived via the airport, resulting in over 800 take-off and landing operations in just a week. The M200 Vigilante radar, transported for the first time in a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) KC-390, monitored air traffic within a 200 km radius of the airport. The sensor operated seamlessly alongside the efforts of CINDACTA IV flight controllers, the FAB division responsible for air coordination in the Northern region.