In 1990, the Brazilian government launched the SIPAM/SIVAM project (Amazon Protection System/Amazon Surveillance System). SIPAM was made up of a number of radars, satellites and remote-sensing systems which, for the first time, would allow all federal and state administrative agencies operating in the region to have access to a centralized database in Brasilia. SIVAM, to be organized by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), would operate, along with SIPAM, with a number of mobile radars installed in an airplane capable of covering the five million square kilometers (3.106 million miles) of the Amazon, at the time totally devoid of flight protection. In addition to providing security for aircraft and boats, the system could also track illegal flight operations and combat drug trafficking, illegal mines and timber smuggling.

A consortium led by the U.S. company Raytheon won the bidding for the SIPAM/SIVAM project in 1994. The proposal called for the purchase of Tucano and ERJ 145 aircraft, manufactured by Embraer, but with the airplanes tailored to the needs of the project.

Based on the platform of the ERJ 145 regional jet, the ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) system airplanes were developed—the EMB 145 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) and the EMB 145 RS/AGS (Remote Sensing/Airborne Ground Surveillance). In 1999 the ISR family rollout and the maiden flight of the airplanes took place. In July 2002, FAB took delivery of the first AEW&C EMB 145 aircraft of the ISR system for SIVAM.

Other versions were built into the ISR system, so as to meet the needs of the Mexican and Greek governments, the latter of which ordered four of these aircraft to operate according to NATO standards.

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Embraer Defense Systems - EMB 145 AEW&C