Friuli to increase presence in aerospace and defense sectors
Valor Econômico
A new contract in the area of defense and the approval of a technological development project by the FINEP (Studies and Projects Financing Agency) will continue with the process of diversification in the business of Friuli, reducing its reliance on the aeronautical sector, mainly of Embraer. Only national manufacturer of penetration bombs for the Brazilian air force (FAB), Friuli will increase to 20% the participation of the defense sector in its earnings by 2010. Embraer should account for 50%, whereas the aerospace sector should get 20% and the oil segment, 10%. Until September 2008, 95% of the production was destined to Embraer. This level dropped to 60% last year.
The growth of the defense sector will result from the winning of a bidding competition open by the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) for the production of VSB-30 rocket engines used in sub-orbital missions for space exploration. "That contract allows the creation of a greater engineering structure in the company, opening new opportunities in the aerospace sector, especially in the export market", says Gianni Cucchiaro, Director of the company.
In December, Friuli also confirmed the approval, by Finep, of the project of development of a system for the gliding and guidance of bombs via GPS. The company will receive R$ 4.1 million (US$ 2.4 million) for the project, through the 2009 program of economic subsidy. The bomb guiding system Friuli will develop, according to Cucchiaro, is a high precision system capable of launching 230 kilogram bombs at a distance between 70 and 75 kilometers and an altitude of 30 thousand feet. "This GPS guided system poses less risk to the aircraft, because it is more precise on the target, similar to a missile". The cost of the system, according to the Executive, should be of nearly US$ 25 thousand.
Besides the new projects, Friuli supplies the Navy with parts, such as containers for the storage and transport of the sea to air Aspide missile. Also in the aerospace segment, Friuli has produced three 40-meter-tall models of the Ukrainian rocket Cyclone 4. The models will be used in the advertising campaign of the Ukrainian Launcher worldwide. Brazil has entered into an agreement with Ukraine to launch rockets of the Cyclone family from the CLA (Alcantara Launching Center), in the State of Maranhão.