D&S exhibitor Embraer announced at the Dubai Air Show (also taking place this week) the name and designation of its multi-mission medium aircraft, the Embraer C-390 Millennium.
In 2009, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) contracted Embraer to design, develop and manufacture the aircraft as a replacement for its ageing C-130 fleet. The C-390 Millennium received its Civil Certification from the Brazilian National Aviation Agency (ANAC) in 2018 and is now in full production. In August 2019, Portugal signed a contract to acquire five aircraft with deliveries slated for 2023. The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) received its first aircraft on 4 September, 2019. The delivery of the second aircraft to the FAB is scheduled to happen in 4Q19.
The twin-jet tactical transport aircraft brings airlift and air mobility into the jet age with increased mobility, rugged design, higher flexibility, state-of-the-art proven technology and easier, more efficient maintenance. The C-390 Millennium can perform a variety of missions, such as aerial refuelling, cargo and troop transport, cargo and paratrooper airdrop, search and rescue, aerial firefighting and humanitarian missions. The designation KC-390 will be maintained for the customers that have opted for the aerial refuelling capability.
“With the C-390 Millennium we will be able to deliver the right solution to our customers, according to their specific needs”, said Jackson Schneider, president and CEO of Embraer Defence & Security. “The C-390 is a highly capable aircraft. Its unrivalled combination of speed, payload and rapid reconfigurability for multi-mission operations are the cornerstones of its excellent productivity”.
Embraer has also announced a joint venture with Boeing to promote and develop new markets for the C-390 Millennium multi-mission airlift and air mobility aircraft, called Boeing Embraer – Defence.
“Boeing Embraer – Defence will build on our companies’ history of collaboration across commercial and defence aerospace to unlock significant value in the state-of-the-art C-390 Millennium as it enters service and leads the next generation of airlift and air mobility aircraft,” said Marc Allen, Boeing’s president of Embraer Partnership and Group Operations.
Embraer will have 51 percent ownership of Boeing Embraer – Defence, with Boeing holding the remaining 49 percent.
