From July 3 to 6, the Operational Evaluation on loading and transportation  an  ASTROS System vehicle in the KC-390 aircraft took place. The event, held at Anápolis Air Forçe Base, near Brasilia, is part of the Third Phase of Operation Zeus, which aims to evaluate the air transport of Brazilian Army Vehicles  and other materials on the new transport aircraft of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB).

During this period, tests were performed with the loading and restraint  of the Universal Multiple Launcher vehicle AV-LMU, model Mk6, from the Brazilian Army, in the cargo compartment of the KC-390.

The flight test carried out on Thursday, July 6th, successfully demonstrated the important air transport capability of the ASTROS vehicle by the KC-390, currently the largest and heaviest vehicle transported by the aircraft. This will allow the quick strategic displacement of the ASTROS System vehicles to any point in the country, including for deployment on joint missions abroad.

The ASTROS vehicle has a height-adjustable suspension and tire inflation system that facilitate its roll-on/roll-off transportation, making its loading and unloading very quick. The vehicle has several tie-down provisions that allow its safe restraint to the aircraft floor.

The operation successfully portrayed Avibras' intense cooperation with the Brazilian Air Force, the Brazilian Army and Embraer, which began in 2010 with the first test carried out with ASTROS vehicles 6x6 Mk5 and 4x4 Mk4 "loading" them on a mock-up of the KC-390 aircraft floor, carried out at the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA), under the coordination of the Brazilian Air Force and with the participation of Embraer and Avibras. On the occasion, several opportunities for improvement were verified and the joint work resulted in an aircraft with high load capacity, which would make the new aircraft capable of transporting ASTROS System vehicles as well as other wheeled armoured vehicles  with similar weight to the ASTROS System Launcher.

The Operational Evaluation that took place in Anápolis required the mobilization of several Brazilian Air Force organizations under the coordination of the KC-X/KC-390 Program Technical Management, besides  the Brazilian Army Artillery Command, Embraer and Avibras.