The Emirati Calidus won another contract with the United Arab Emirates Air Force, with the order of 40 B-250 turboprops during the Dubair Air Show. The training aircraft was developed in Brazil by Novaer.
speaking to the portal Breaking Defense, Calidus CEO Khalifa Alblooshi confirmed the agreement with the Air Force. “A letter of intent was signed today between Calidus and the UAE Air Force, and we expect delivery of these aircraft to begin in mid-2026.”
The order is valued at US$620 million and follows another agreement signed in 2019, which covered 24 LA (Light Attack) armed version aircraft. According to Alblooshi, the first aircraft of this order is already ready. The B250s will be produced at the Calidus facilities in Al Ain and will be used in the future to train Emirati Air Force pilots.
Brazilian DNA
Although it is produced by Calidus, the B250 was developed in Brazil by Novaer, from São José dos Campos, and officially presented at the 2017 Dubai Air Show.
Made of carbon fiber and capable of exceeding 550 km/h, the B-250 has Brazilian blood. The aircraft was designed by Novaer, from São José dos Campos, in partnership with Calidus.
It is considered a competitor to Embraer's A-29 Super Tucano, and uses the same Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68 engine.
Novaer made two prototypes of the B-250, both taken to the Arab country. In February 2018, the company announced the dismissal of some of its employees. In a statement, the manufacturer stated that the dismissal occurred due to “unforeseen difficulties, caused by the breach of contract by its main client.”
Starting with the B-250, Calidus is working on its bigger brother, the B-350, which has yet to make its first flight. Also presented at the air show in Dubai, the B-350 draws attention due to its size.
