Contributor - UK

David Donald

Embraer's presence at the Paris Air Show this year is bolstered by a growing order book for the C-390 Millennium airlifter. For some time, the platform only had support from the aerospace and defense group's Brazilian home customer, but it now garners a growing number of orders from overseas, including from Europe. 
Recent international sales have offset the disappointment of a cut in the number of aircraft ordered by Brazil's government. They have also firmly established the C-390 as a highly competitive and credible option in the airlifter market.
During the mid-2000s, Embraer began work on the KC-390 tanker/transport project—named C-390 Millennium for export in November 2019—with strong support from the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian air force). In terms of size and function, the aircraft was aimed at matching the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules while offering greater performance and efficiency through the adoption of turbofan engines. 
The first of two prototypes took to the air in February 2015, and in September 2019, Embraer handed over the first production aircraft to the FAB. Full operational capability was attained in March 2023.
Naturally, the FAB was the launch customer, with a stated requirement for 28 aircraft. Due to financial constraints imposed in the wake of the global Covid-19 crisis, this number was reduced to 22 in November 2021, and then to 19 in October of the following year. Serving with the air force's First Troop Transport Group (1° GTT) at Anápolis, the growing KC-390 fleet, now numbering seven, surpassed 8,000 flight hours in early 2023, operating regularly in both its transport and air refueling roles. 
Export sales began in July 2019 with the announcement of an order for five from the Portuguese air force. This came as no great surprise, as Portugal had earlier signed up as an industrial partner in the program, led by local company OGMA as a major subcontractor. The first was delivered in October 2022. In April 2023, the potential to assemble the C-390 for European customers in Portugal was announced.
<h2>European Demand Gathers Pace</h2>
Portugal’s aircraft are being delivered in a fully NATO-compatible configuration, paving the way for other treaty partners to sign up. In 2020, Hungary announced an order for two aircraft, of which the first took to the air in February last year and was delivered to Kecskemét Air Base in November. The order included the ability to carry an intensive care unit module for aeromedical missions.
It would be another two years before a further sales announcement, but when it came, it was something of a coup for Embraer. Following extensive evaluation, the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force) chose the C-390 to replace its Hercules fleet, with five to be acquired. 
By the time that the contract was signed in July 2024, Austria had added four aircraft in a joint purchase with the Netherlands for nine, having announced its selection of the C-390—again as a C-130 replacement—in 2023. Production of the first for Austria got underway in February. 
In October 2023, the Czech Republic announced its selection of the Millennium for transport and tanker duties. A contract for two was signed last October, with the first scheduled for delivery later this year. Czech company Aero Vodochody is a major program subcontractor. 
Another significant announcement in December 2023 concerned the selection of the C-390 by the Republic of Korea Air Force to fulfill its Large Transport Aircraft-II requirement. Beating off competition from the C-130J-30 model and the Airbus A400M, the C-390 deal for the East Asian state includes industrial participation. An initial three aircraft are expected to enter service from 2026.
Success in Europe continued with Sweden announcing it would be buying four last November, with Slovakia selecting the type for a three-aircraft requirement in December. Sweden had long been suggested as a potential customer due to the strong governmental and industrial connections through the Gripen E/F fighter. A purchase commitment was announced in April, and Sweden has joined Austria and the Netherlands in their joint procurement and support program.
Elsewhere in Europe, Embraer considers Finland and Greece as potential customers, while the list of global opportunities includes countries in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. Morocco borrowed a KC-390 from the FAB for an extensive evaluation, while South Africa is reportedly interested in acquiring six. In April, South African group Denel signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the industrial aspect of the bid.
In the Middle East, Embraer has partnered with BAE Systems to market the aircraft to Gulf nations, while the company has announced a partnership with SAMI to potentially assemble and support the aircraft in Saudi Arabia. 
In Asia, a February 2024 partnership announcement with Mahindra, covering an in-country assembly line and support, is at the heart of a bid to supply the C-390 to the Indian Air Force. Up to 40 aircraft are required for the upcoming Medium Transport Aircraft requirement.

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