Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer Defense & Security has announced a contract to sell two C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft to an undisclosed customer. The deal expands the list of Millennium customers to 10. Under the contract terms, Embraer will reconfigure the ordered aircraft to meet the client’s specific requirements and will provide training, support services and spare parts.
Bosco da Costa Jr., Embraer president and CEO, expressed that it is an honor for the São Paolo-based company to have the customer choose the Millennium. “This aircraft is redefining the concepts of military transport aviation with an unbeatable combination of state-of-the-art technology, reliability and low operational costs, with exceptional performance,” he added.
C-390 Deployment in Europe
The Millennium was first deployed by the Brazilian Air Force in 2019, followed by its introduction into the Portuguese Air Force in 2023 and the Hungarian Air Force in 2024. Other clients using the aircraft include South Korea, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Slovakia.
Embraer said the aircraft has accumulated over 15,500 flight hours, achieving a mission capability rate of 93 percent and a mission completion rate exceeding 99 percent for its users. The Millennium has a payload capacity of 26 tons and a maximum air speed of 470 knots, surpassing the capabilities of similar medium-sized military transport aircraft.
The design of the Millennium supports a wide range of operations, including troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, firefighting and humanitarian missions, even on unpaved runways. Additionally, there is a KC-390 version capable of air-to-air refueling as a tanker and a receiver. In early December, Embraer announced a collaboration with the Brazilian Air Force to further develop the Millennium platform for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.