--- title: "The C-390 Millennium: How Brazil Revolutionized Strategic Airlift" description: "If you had to go to war, what would you want to be *absolutely* sure you had with you? Perhaps you'd want to drive a tank, knowing you're safe and secure behind a wall of nearly impenetrable armor. Maybe you'd want a reliable firearm and some special-ops-levels of training, to give you the confidence to believe that you're the most dangerous warrior on the battlefield. Perhaps you'd want a great, big naval vessel, a destroyer or an aircraft carrier, a floating city armed to the teeth and all but impossible to overcome. Or maybe you want people alongside you, brothers and sisters in arms who you can lean on, and who can lean on you. But to hear quite a few current and former warfighters tell it, the real answer is something that outwardly seems far more mundane: A supply chain. Without it, that big, reliable gun will run out of bullets, that regiment will prove unable to get reinforcements, that tank will be stranded without gas in a foreign field, and that mighty destroyer will need to send its sailors scavenging on desert islands, lest their bellies remain empty for far too long.\n\nIn modern warfare, logistics rules all, and if a nation wants to master the art of logistics, then they're going to have to figure out tactical airlift. Enter the nation of Brazil, where after decades of watching American, Soviet-Russian, and other global aircraft do their heavy lifting like everybody else, the nation's aerospace industry decided to make an attempt at a tactical airlifter of their own—and created a global game-changer, on their very first try. Its name is the Millennium, designated in Brazil as the C-390, and in just a few short years of operation, it's proven itself to be the very best in its class. This is Brazil's Millennium, the humble tactical airlifter that has set a new standard across the globe.\n\n## Design and Development\n\nTo find the origins of the Millennium, we've got to wind the clock back to the early 2000s, when Brazil's leading aerospace manufacturer, Embraer, began some serious speculation around the idea of getting in on the global tactical airlifter game. The idea was born partially out of ambition, with Embraer rapidly growing into a global name in aerospace manufacturing, and having already conquered areas like commercial jets and attack aircraft. But the idea *also* made sense on another level, as Embraer execs realized they could corner a market that much of the world hadn't yet considered.\n\nMilitary airlift capability is typically classed into two categories: Tactical, and strategic. The lines between the two are often blurry and ill-defined, but they do the job of delineating aircraft with different functions. Tactical airlifters typically move relatively small amounts of cargo for relatively shorter distances, while strategic airlifters lift as much as possible, as far as possible. For strategic airlifters, we can toss out names like America's C-5 Galaxy or the C-17 Globemaster, or the recently destroyed Antonov An-225 Mriya—rip to the GOAT. A tactical airlifter, by contrast, can be everything from a little militarized Cessna or Beechcraft, bumping through the air with perhaps half a metric ton of cargo onboard, to more considerable aircraft that might be refitted airliners or purpose-built from scratch.\n\nAround the world, however, there is perhaps no tactical airlifter as ubiquitous as the C-130 Hercules. An American-made, four-engine prop aircraft, the C-130 first entered service all the way back in 1956, and across almost seventy years of service, it's become everything from a gunship to an electronic warfare plane to an air-to-air refueling tanker and more. It's still rolling off production lines today, via the updated C-130J Super Hercules, making it the longest continually produced military aircraft in history. The list of nations that operates it or used to is *very* long, including all of North America, most of South America, about half of Africa, much of South Asia, and a sizeable proportion of the Middle East, among others. It's capable of carrying up to 94 passengers, three Humvees, or a self-propelled howitzer, it can hit a ferry range of 7,400 kilometers or 4,600 miles with a light load, and in a pinch, it's recently gained the ability to launch its own cruise missiles. It's a damn good plane, it's an asset to air forces around the world—and it's getting very, very old.\n\nThe problem that Embraer had long since picked up on, is that not all C-130 aircraft were created equal. Many in service around the world were older models that were either approaching retirement, or were already well past due. Those that had been kept relatively modern had to do it by receiving, and paying for continual updates from Lockheed Martin, while nations with less-than-ideal relationships with the US or less-than-ideal budgets for the task have had to make do with less. What Embraer saw in advance was that at some point, sooner or later, those C-130s would need to be replaced—and they could either be replaced by newer copies of fundamentally the same aircraft, or by something far more modern and capable in its design.\n\nEmbraer weren't the only aircraft designer around the world to see the C-130 problem coming. The Spanish manufacturer CASA, today part of Airbus, was already flying its C-295, an upgraded version of its own older military transport aircraft, the CN-235. Russia's Ilyushin design company was working on its Il-112, which still hasn't been introduced to service, while Italy's Alenia Aeronautica—today part of Leonardo—built its C-27J, the Spartan. Airbus was working on the considerably larger A400M Atlas, while China was getting ready to produce its Shaanxi Y-9. But all of those aircraft shared two critical things in common. Number one: they were *all* propeller aircraft, with real implications for their limited speed, their limited versatility, and more. Number two, and tightly related to number one: They were all basically direct replacements to the C-130 or its competitors, perhaps with technological improvements under the hood, or a cheaper price tag, but very little else worth boasting about.\n\nFrom the outset, Embraer was committed to charting a different path. Early designs centered around the company's pre-existing E190 jetliner, a successful and widespread aircraft that nonetheless proved to be not quite right for the job at hand. Instead, they focused on building a new design using elements of the E190 that could be easily grafted on, using proven parts and design elements they could already mass-produce, rather than starting from scratch. Their airlifter would be a jet plane, featuring high-sitting wings, modern fly-by-wire flight controls, and a brand-new fuselage that could at least rival, if not surpass, the internal hold capacity of the newest-model C-130Js. Inside, the C-390 would have to be able to carry at least nineteen metric tons of cargo, just a hair short of 42,000 pounds, loaded and unloaded via a rear ramp to handle various sorts of heavy load. It would have to be able to cruise at speeds of about 990 kilometers per hour, 615 miles per hour, while being able to approach runways at the same low speeds as the C-130J. Finally, it would need to do double-duty as both a tactical airlifter, and an air-to-air refueling tanker, in order to offer all the functionality of its competitor aircraft in its overhauled package.\n\nThe program kicked off in full in the year 2009, with a lump of cash equivalent to one and a half billion dollars US to build its prototypes. Embraer picked out its engine, choosing to optimize its new airplane into a craft that would excel in relatively standard climates rather than having to survive under especially extreme conditions. The company began dropping hints and timelines to the global public, especially potential buyer nations, and announced that it would be able to carry more than initially anticipated, adding new capacity on the order of two metric tons. They also came out with a number, as early as April of 2011, that revealed what might end up being a booming market for their aircraft in the very near future. According to Embraer projections at that time, nearly seven hundred military transport aircraft would have to be replaced just in the next ten years, to say nothing of the numbers that might be requested during the following decades when the C-390's production lines would be operating in full force. By that time, Brazil had put in multiple orders for the aircraft, Argentina had asked for six modified into tanker versions, and Portugal, France, and the Czech Republic were already indicating a strong interest, all without ever having seen a prototype. Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and even America's Boeing company signed on to the project, although a brief attempt to start a joint venture between Boeing and Embraer in 2019 would ultimately fall through. Major aerospace designers from the UK, the Czech Republic, the US, Germany, and elsewhere contributed materials and design elements, in what was quickly becoming a chimera of an aircraft that could unify the best minds of many nations at once.\n\nIn late October of 2014, the inaugural Embraer prototype saw sunlight for the very first time, and less than five months later, it would take its maiden flight. As the months wore on, the good vibes and good luck of the C-390 program continued to make themselves known; the aircraft was able to overcome an anticipated two-year delay in flight testing due to the state of the Brazilian economy, and instead pushed through to log hundreds of hours of flight testing in that time. The aircraft was pushed to its limits, reached operational capability, and even proved that it would boast a highly competitive price tag. Despite its jet engines, its all-new design, its better-than-anticipated carrying capacity, and a considerably higher top speed and service ceiling, it was expected to sell for fifteen million dollars *cheaper* than the C-130J it was meant to surpass, at no more than fifty-five million dollars US per unit. After innumerable tests, boundary-pushing missions on all seven continents, and a cascade of good press, airshow appearances, and interested client nations, the Millennium was finally cleared as fully operational in early 2023, paving the way for this highly impressive aircraft to change the world.\n\n## Specs and Capabilities\n\nThe C-390 Millennium is a twin-engine, high-wing jet aircraft, operated by a crew of three: a pilot, a copilot, and a loadmaster. It measures a length, tip to tail, of 35.2 meters or 115 and a half feet, against a wingspan of just over 35 meters, 115 feet even, giving it a functionally square profile from the top down. At full capacity, the 12-meter-tall, 38-foot-tall Millennium can take off at a weight of up to 87,000 kilograms; that's nearly 192,000 pounds. It's powered by a pair of V2500-E5 turbofan engines, the same ones that power the Airbus A320 family of commercial aircraft. Flying at full power, it can hit top speeds of 988 kilometers per hour or 614 miles per hour, while it cruises at speeds of 870 kilometers per hour, 540 miles per hour, comparable with a commercial jetliner. Despite its highly respectable top speed, it can fly very slowly as needed, only stalling out when it drops below 193 kilometers per hour, or 120 miles per hour. It can hit a service ceiling of 11,000 meters or 36,000 feet, again comparable to most commercial airliners around the world.\n\nBut the Millennium's claim to fame, as should rightfully be expected of a tactical airlifter, is the intersection between its carrying capacity and its range. The C-390 can carry up to twenty-six metric tons or 57,000 pounds of payload, arranged in a number of ways. It can carry up to eighty troops at a time, up to seventy-four stretchers with room for eight onboard medics, sixty-six paratroopers, up to seven standardized master pallets, or thirty-six troops *while* still carrying six pallets. It can handle up to two fully-tracked M113 armored personnel carriers, each capable of rolling off and carrying a machine gun and up to fifteen passengers immediately into combat, or one copy of either Brazil's Guarani armored vehicle or the German-Dutch Boxer fighting vehicle. If needed, it can even transport a full Black Hawk helicopter inside. It's capable of airdropping loads of up to nineteen metric tons, 42,000 pounds, while onboard troops are granted a level of passenger comfort that most tactical airlifters don't even bother to match, including climate control, a highly accessible toilet, and vibration reduction features to stabilize the hold. While carrying a relatively standard load of fourteen metric tons, the Millennium can fly at a distance of over five thousand kilometers or 3,100 miles, enough to complete trips like New York to LA, Brasilia to southern Patagonia, London to Damascus or Kyiv, or Hong Kong to Tokyo on a single tank of fuel. Carrying the absolute most it can bear, the C-390 can still fly a distance of two thousand kilometers or over 1,200 miles, while it can hit a ferry range of up to 8,500 kilometers or 5,200 miles if it uses auxiliary fuel tanks.\n\nOnboard, the C-390 features a wide range of modern design elements to bring it up to a 21st-century standard, while maintaining flexibility in both its hauling function and the way it carries out its mission. The aircraft is built to be highly modular, with an interior and an exterior that can be rapidly modified to perform multiple mission roles in quick succession. It features a glass cockpit with head-up displays integrating to an enhanced flight vision system, which scans the scene around the aircraft using four cameras and relays those views to the pilots in real time. It flies using full fly-by-wire controls, advanced avionics, a tactical radar with several different operating modes, and a countermeasures suite including chaff, flares, and infrared self-defense. An onboard computer calculates all its drop points, before handing over to other software to handle precise drops, while another onboard system provides continual monitoring of all important hardware and software.\n\nThe Millennium is proven in nearly all weather conditions, and has performed well everywhere from the Antarctic cold to the incredibly humid and hot Brazilian summer. It's able to descend under operator control at rates of up to 2,700 meters or 9,000 feet per minute, and it can land and take off on damaged, sandy, grassy, or otherwise subpar runways with ease. It can take off and land at short distances, it's surprisingly nimble for its size, and it can carry advanced targeting pods or air-to-air refueling equipment on three external hardpoints. It can refuel two aircraft at once while in flight, at speeds as high as 560 kilometers per hour to serve Brazil's advanced fighter jets or as slow as 220 kilometers per hour to serve its turboprop-driven attack aircraft; that's a top limit of 347 miles per hour, and a bottom limit of just 136. All that, the Millennium makes possible at altitudes from two thousand to thirty-two-thousand feet, 610 to 9,700 meters.\n\nAnd when the aircraft is measured directly against its competitors in the world of tactical airlift, it gets even more impressive than it already was. It beats out the best iteration of the C-130, the Super Hercules, by seven *thousand* kilograms, cruising over 200 kilometers per hour faster, and flying 1,700 kilometers further at a normal payload. That's to say nothing of how thoroughly the Millennium beats out older models of the C-130, the ones that Embraer was most looking forward to replacing. The Italian Spartan aircraft can carry twenty fewer troops or less than *half* the C-390's stretchers, it can airdrop less than half of what the Millennium can, and it lags badly behind in terms of speed, while it's got to trim down its load to just 4,500 kilograms to carry as far as the Millennium can carry *fourteen thousand* kg. The C-295 also falls short in carrying capacity when measured in soldiers, stretchers, pallets, or vehicles, while at a huge payload disadvantage and flying at a comparatively miserable cruising speed and altitude. China's Y-9 boasts a similar capacity to the Millennium but lags badly in both speed and range, while even the much larger A400M, by Airbus, doesn't offer nearly the improvements over the Millennium that should justify its larger size. We should be clear here; the direct comparisons between the Millennium and these other aircraft aren't always fair, since those aircraft's frankly lesser performance can make them *more* appropriate for certain operational assignments. But the C-390 still beats them all, at a price point that can compete with any of them, and is even considerably cheaper than the A400M and the C-130J. And even despite its jet engines, the C-390 can hang with *all* of them in the short-takeoff-and-landing, and low-stall-speed areas where turboprop aircraft *should* retain an advantage.\n\n## Operation and Rapid Adoption\n\nThe C-390 Millennium is still a very new aircraft, with just a handful of production models currently out in the world, and as such, it hasn't gotten *that* much of a workout in its tactical airlift role—certainly not in active combat. That being said, the aircraft has nonetheless proven its potential every time it's gotten the chance, in roles that closely mirror what it would be asked to do in a combat environment. Since the C-390 is not a combat aircraft, and *really* shouldn't ever be logging air-to-air kills, it can demonstrate its worthiness in just about every area where it's designed to operate—and thus far, it's done very well.\n\nIn its first three and a half years in service to Brazil, the C-390 logged over eight thousand flight-hours across six thousand flights, boasting mission completion rates well over ninety-nine percent. All those stats, despite the Brazilian Air Force having less than half a dozen of the aircraft at that time. To date, the aircraft has taken part in a wide range of disaster relief operations, airlifting COVID patients out of the isolated and undersupplied Brazilian city of Manaus, responding to the 2020 Beirut explosion, bringing medicine and search-and-rescue equipment after Haiti's 2021 earthquake, and more. The Millennium has rescued Brazilians and other South American citizens from Ukraine, transported Black Hawk helicopters for Portugal, and taken part in a wide range of military exercises around the world. The Millennium has yet to suffer an airframe loss or a major accident, and it's proven more than capable of filling every mission role for which it was designed.\n\nAnd just as Embraer predicted all those years ago, the availability of a modern, jet-powered tactical airlifter has led to a wide range of world nations taking notice. Brazil flies just seven of the aircraft so far, but plans to field a total of twenty-six. Hungary has been delivered one, and will fly another shortly. Portugal has ordered five, of which it's received two at the time of writing. Austria plans to receive four, the Czech Republic plans to receive two, South Korea will pick up three, the Netherlands will obtain five, and both Slovakia and Sweden have announced plans to procure the aircraft, although the total number in each nation's order has yet to be announced. The aircraft has even been purchased by a mystery customer, with a contract for two of the jets established between Embraer and an undisclosed client somewhere around the world. In several of those nations, the C-390 has been chosen to directly replace a fleet of American C-130s, and has beaten out competitor offers from Lockheed Martin offering Super Hercules aircraft as a replacement. Several other nations are thought to be in the hunt for Millennium fighters of their own: Colombia for up to twelve, Greece and South Africa for up to six, Angola for up to four, Rwanda for up to two, and India for up to *forty*. Egypt appears hopeful to receive a yet-unspecified number of the jets, while Morocco has one for testing, Saudi Arabia is considering both buying them and building them locally, and BAE Systems is hawking them to the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait. The Brazilian military is looking into creating a version for intelligence and reconnaissance missions at sea. They're even being targeted for adaptation into a civilian cargo plane by a Brazilian postal company, quite possibly opening the door to a whole new market. To our knowledge here at Megaprojects, the C-390 has yet to *lose* a bid for a contract, or to be turned down after having been considered by any world nation.\n\nAs a result, the problem facing the C-390 today isn't one of poor performance or global disinterest, but the sheer difficulty of what will likely become a scramble to keep up with demand. On the broad spectrum of problems to have, we admit, that's a pretty good one to be dealing with—but it's a problem nonetheless. At current count, there are a total of just fifteen C-390s in the hands of global militaries, after main-line production began all the way back in 2018. Embraer currently forecasts a market demand for nearly 500 of its Millennium aircraft between now and the mid-2040s, comprising a market it assesses to be worth sixty billion US dollars, and doesn't count over 250 tactical airlifters around the world that have reached retirement age. According to the CEO of Embraer Defense, the company can currently assemble and deliver up to eighteen aircraft per year—but the aircraft's suppliers have had trouble getting component parts to Brazil in time. The company expects to produce just twelve aircraft a year by 2030, and the solution here isn't to simply build more assembly lines. Under current conditions, those lines would have nothing to assemble—and any relief will have to come from improvement by Embraer's parts suppliers around the world.\n\nIt's a difficult bottleneck, limiting the potential of what is clearly a tremendously promising aircraft. If the delays persist, many of these global militaries that have already signed contracts will be forced to extend the lives of at least a portion of their pre-existing tactical airlift fleet—despite the fact that they'd very much like to offload that old stock. New potential clients, including many of the oil-rich Gulf states and the entire NATO alliance, might have to start second-guessing whether it's really worth waiting around for the Millennium, versus either selecting a less-capable competitor aircraft in order to get new capabilities sooner, or even designing an alternative themselves. In a worst-case scenario, they might even let their tactical airlift capabilities lapse, holding out for a Millennium program beset by delays and stretched too thin to satisfy everyone. All three options come at a considerable cost to the nations that would choose them, but time waits for no one, and time will certainly not wait for Embraer. Perhaps Saudi Arabia can assist with an infusion of new overseas production capacity, or perhaps other nations and corporations will step up to help this highly lucrative aircraft realize its true potential. Or, perhaps the program will fizzle out, far sooner than the Millennium deserves.\n\nNo matter the real-world constraints on production, Brazil and the Embraer corporation have produced a phenomenal aircraft with the C-390. It's highly capable, it's flexible through a wide range of mission roles, and when you measure it against the competition, it's no contest at all. It's one of the most understated defense-world victories of the entire 21st century, how a company taking its first crack at a tactical airlifter put *all* of its global competitor aircraft to shame. But the story of the C-390 Millennium is one that might be told a good deal more often, in the years and the decades to come.\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n- The C-390 Millennium, Brazil's tactical airlifter, has set a new global standard.\n- Embraer designed the C-390 to replace aging C-130 aircraft with modern capabilities.\n- The C-390 outperforms competitors in speed, range, and carrying capacity.\n- High demand for the C-390 is challenging Embraer's production and supply chain.\n- The C-390 has proven reliable in disaster relief and military exercises worldwide.\n\n## Frequently Asked Questions\n\n### What is the C-390 Millennium?\n\nThe C-390 Millennium is a twin-engine, high-wing jet aircraft designed and manufactured by Embraer in Brazil. It is a tactical airlifter that has set a new standard in its class, known for its versatility, carrying capacity, and range.\n\n### What are the key features of the C-390 Millennium?\n\nThe C-390 Millennium features a length of 35.2 meters, a wingspan of 35 meters, and can take off at a weight of up to 87,000 kilograms. It is powered by two V2500-E5 turbofan engines, can reach top speeds of 988 km/h, and has a service ceiling of 11,000 meters. It can carry up to 26 metric tons of payload and has a range of over 5,000 kilometers with a standard load.\n\n### How does the C-390 Millennium compare to the C-130 Hercules?\n\nThe C-390 Millennium outperforms the C-130 Hercules in several areas, including carrying capacity, speed, and range. It can carry seven thousand kilograms more, cruise over 200 kilometers per hour faster, and fly 1,700 kilometers further with a normal payload.\n\n### What is the operational history of the C-390 Millennium?\n\nSince its introduction, the C-390 Millennium has been used in various disaster relief operations, military exercises, and humanitarian missions. It has logged over 8,000 flight-hours across 6,000 flights with a mission completion rate of over 99%.\n\n### Which countries have adopted the C-390 Millennium?\n\nCountries that have adopted or plan to adopt the C-390 Millennium include Brazil, Hungary, Portugal, Austria, the Czech Republic, South Korea, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Sweden, and an undisclosed customer. Several other nations are considering or have shown interest in the aircraft.\n\n### What are the potential future applications of the C-390 Millennium?\n\nThe C-390 Millennium is being considered for various roles, including intelligence and reconnaissance missions at sea, adaptation into a civilian cargo plane, and potential use by oil-rich Gulf states and NATO alliance members. Embraer forecasts a market demand for nearly 500 aircraft by the mid-2040s.\n\n### What challenges does the C-390 Millennium face in production?\n\nThe primary challenge facing the C-390 Millennium is the difficulty in meeting global demand due to supply chain issues. Embraer can currently deliver up to 18 aircraft per year, but suppliers have had trouble delivering component parts on time, limiting production to 12 aircraft per year by 2030.\n\n### What is the significance of the C-390 Millennium in the defense industry?\n\nThe C-390 Millennium represents a significant achievement for Brazil and Embraer, as it outperforms all global competitor aircraft in its class. It is considered one of the most understated defense-world victories of the 21st century.\n\n### What is the price of the C-390 Millennium compared to its competitors?\n\nThe C-390 Millennium is expected to sell for no more than $55 million per unit, which is $15 million cheaper than the C-130J and considerably cheaper than the A400M.\n\n### What is the carrying capacity of the C-390 Millennium?\n\nThe C-390 Millennium can carry up to 26 metric tons of payload. It can transport up to 80 troops, 74 stretchers with room for 8 medics, 66 paratroopers, 7 standardized master pallets, or 36 troops while carrying 6 pallets. It can also handle two fully-tracked M113 armored personnel carriers or one Black Hawk helicopter.\n\n## Sources\n\n- [Original MegaProjects video: The C-390 Millennium: How Brazil Revolutionized Strategic Airlift](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svOmpggfyQo)\n- [https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/ASPJ/journals/Volume-31_Issue-1/V-Maywald_et_al.pdf](https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/ASPJ/journals/Volume-31_Issue-1/V-Maywald_et_al.pdf)\n- [https://scholar.afit.edu/facpub/1319/](https://scholar.afit.edu/facpub/1319/)\n- [https://www.flightglobal.com/farnborough-redesign-transforms-kc-390-into-all-new-market-threat-/113515.article](https://www.flightglobal.com/farnborough-redesign-transforms-kc-390-into-all-new-market-threat-/113515.article)\n- 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[https://defense.embraer.com/air/c-390/](https://defense.embraer.com/air/c-390/)\n- [https://militaryembedded.com/avionics/computers/c-390-millennium-multi-mission-aircraft-ordered-by-undisclosed-customer](https://militaryembedded.com/avionics/computers/c-390-millennium-multi-mission-aircraft-ordered-by-undisclosed-customer)\n- [https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/industry/undisclosed-customer-signs-for-two-embraer-c-390s](https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/industry/undisclosed-customer-signs-for-two-embraer-c-390s)\n- [https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/sweden-picks-embraers-c-390-new-military-cargo-aircraft-2024-11-09/](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/sweden-picks-embraers-c-390-new-military-cargo-aircraft-2024-11-09/)\n- [https://aviationweek.com/defense/multi-mission-aircraft/embraer-c-390-millennium-innovation-performance-reliability](https://aviationweek.com/defense/multi-mission-aircraft/embraer-c-390-millennium-innovation-performance-reliability)\n- [https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/embraer-delivers-seventh-c-390-millennium-to-brazil/](https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/embraer-delivers-seventh-c-390-millennium-to-brazil/)\n- [https://simpleflying.com/embraer-sells-2-c-390-millennium-undisclosed-10th-nation/](https://simpleflying.com/embraer-sells-2-c-390-millennium-undisclosed-10th-nation/)\n- [https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/defense/press-release/21203475/embraer-embraer-delivers-the-fourth-c-390-millennium-airlifter-to-the-brazilian-air-force](https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/defense/press-release/21203475/embraer-embraer-delivers-the-fourth-c-390-millennium-airlifter-to-the-brazilian-air-force)\n- [https://www.edrmagazine.eu/embraer-strongly-pushes-its-c-390-millenium-on-the-international-market](https://www.edrmagazine.eu/embraer-strongly-pushes-its-c-390-millenium-on-the-international-market)\n- [https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/embraer-formalizes-c-390-sales-austria-netherlands-deliveries-2027-2024-07-22/#:~:text=Embraer%20is%20currently%20working%20to,2030%2C%22%20the%20executive%20said](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/embraer-formalizes-c-390-sales-austria-netherlands-deliveries-2027-2024-07-22/#:~:text=Embraer%20is%20currently%20working%20to,2030%2C%22%20the%20executive%20said)\n- [https://simpleflying.com/embraer-c-390-production-rate-ramp-up/](https://simpleflying.com/embraer-c-390-production-rate-ramp-up/)\n- [Hero image source](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Lockheed_Martin_F-22A_Raptor_JSOH.jpg) by Rob Shenk from Great Falls, VA, USA / openverse, by-sa.\n\n## Related Coverage" url: https://megaprojects.pub/article/c-390-millennium-brazil-strategic-airlift.md canonical: https://megaprojects.pub/article/c-390-millennium-brazil-strategic-airlift datePublished: 2026-07-02 dateModified: 2026-07-02 author: - name: Simon Whistler url: https://megaprojects.pub/author/simon-whistler publisher: MegaProjects image: "https://media.megaprojects.pub/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=338,fit=cover,quality=80,format=auto/articles/svOmpggfyQo/hero.jpg" type: NewsArticle contentHash: 1df813525924ed0b554b7ba6a6681645a3f41309fd24a28d3961671f41281360 tokens: 8239 summaryUrl: https://megaprojects.pub/article/c-390-millennium-brazil-strategic-airlift.md.summary.md --- If you had to go to war, what would you want to be *absolutely* sure you had with you? Perhaps you'd want to drive a tank, knowing you're safe and secure behind a wall of nearly impenetrable armor. Maybe you'd want a reliable firearm and some special-ops-levels of training, to give you the confidence to believe that you're the most dangerous warrior on the battlefield. Perhaps you'd want a great, big naval vessel, a destroyer or an aircraft carrier, a floating city armed to the teeth and all but impossible to overcome. Or maybe you want people alongside you, brothers and sisters in arms who you can lean on, and who can lean on you. But to hear quite a few current and former warfighters tell it, the real answer is something that outwardly seems far more mundane: A supply chain. Without it, that big, reliable gun will run out of bullets, that regiment will prove unable to get reinforcements, that tank will be stranded without gas in a foreign field, and that mighty destroyer will need to send its sailors scavenging on desert islands, lest their bellies remain empty for far too long. In modern warfare, logistics rules all, and if a nation wants to master the art of logistics, then they're going to have to figure out tactical airlift. Enter the nation of Brazil, where after decades of watching American, Soviet-Russian, and other global aircraft do their heavy lifting like everybody else, the nation's aerospace industry decided to make an attempt at a tactical airlifter of their own—and created a global game-changer, on their very first try. Its name is the Millennium, designated in Brazil as the C-390, and in just a few short years of operation, it's proven itself to be the very best in its class. This is Brazil's Millennium, the humble tactical airlifter that has set a new standard across the globe. ## Design and Development To find the origins of the Millennium, we've got to wind the clock back to the early 2000s, when Brazil's leading aerospace manufacturer, Embraer, began some serious speculation around the idea of getting in on the global tactical airlifter game. The idea was born partially out of ambition, with Embraer rapidly growing into a global name in aerospace manufacturing, and having already conquered areas like commercial jets and attack aircraft. But the idea *also* made sense on another level, as Embraer execs realized they could corner a market that much of the world hadn't yet considered. Military airlift capability is typically classed into two categories: Tactical, and strategic. The lines between the two are often blurry and ill-defined, but they do the job of delineating aircraft with different functions. Tactical airlifters typically move relatively small amounts of cargo for relatively shorter distances, while strategic airlifters lift as much as possible, as far as possible. For strategic airlifters, we can toss out names like America's C-5 Galaxy or the C-17 Globemaster, or the recently destroyed Antonov An-225 Mriya—rip to the GOAT. A tactical airlifter, by contrast, can be everything from a little militarized Cessna or Beechcraft, bumping through the air with perhaps half a metric ton of cargo onboard, to more considerable aircraft that might be refitted airliners or purpose-built from scratch. Around the world, however, there is perhaps no tactical airlifter as ubiquitous as the C-130 Hercules. An American-made, four-engine prop aircraft, the C-130 first entered service all the way back in 1956, and across almost seventy years of service, it's become everything from a gunship to an electronic warfare plane to an air-to-air refueling tanker and more. It's still rolling off production lines today, via the updated C-130J Super Hercules, making it the longest continually produced military aircraft in history. The list of nations that operates it or used to is *very* long, including all of North America, most of South America, about half of Africa, much of South Asia, and a sizeable proportion of the Middle East, among others. It's capable of carrying up to 94 passengers, three Humvees, or a self-propelled howitzer, it can hit a ferry range of 7,400 kilometers or 4,600 miles with a light load, and in a pinch, it's recently gained the ability to launch its own cruise missiles. It's a damn good plane, it's an asset to air forces around the world—and it's getting very, very old. The problem that Embraer had long since picked up on, is that not all C-130 aircraft were created equal. Many in service around the world were older models that were either approaching retirement, or were already well past due. Those that had been kept relatively modern had to do it by receiving, and paying for continual updates from Lockheed Martin, while nations with less-than-ideal relationships with the US or less-than-ideal budgets for the task have had to make do with less. What Embraer saw in advance was that at some point, sooner or later, those C-130s would need to be replaced—and they could either be replaced by newer copies of fundamentally the same aircraft, or by something far more modern and capable in its design. Embraer weren't the only aircraft designer around the world to see the C-130 problem coming. The Spanish manufacturer CASA, today part of Airbus, was already flying its C-295, an upgraded version of its own older military transport aircraft, the CN-235. Russia's Ilyushin design company was working on its Il-112, which still hasn't been introduced to service, while Italy's Alenia Aeronautica—today part of Leonardo—built its C-27J, the Spartan. Airbus was working on the considerably larger A400M Atlas, while China was getting ready to produce its Shaanxi Y-9. But all of those aircraft shared two critical things in common. Number one: they were *all* propeller aircraft, with real implications for their limited speed, their limited versatility, and more. Number two, and tightly related to number one: They were all basically direct replacements to the C-130 or its competitors, perhaps with technological improvements under the hood, or a cheaper price tag, but very little else worth boasting about. From the outset, Embraer was committed to charting a different path. Early designs centered around the company's pre-existing E190 jetliner, a successful and widespread aircraft that nonetheless proved to be not quite right for the job at hand. Instead, they focused on building a new design using elements of the E190 that could be easily grafted on, using proven parts and design elements they could already mass-produce, rather than starting from scratch. Their airlifter would be a jet plane, featuring high-sitting wings, modern fly-by-wire flight controls, and a brand-new fuselage that could at least rival, if not surpass, the internal hold capacity of the newest-model C-130Js. Inside, the C-390 would have to be able to carry at least nineteen metric tons of cargo, just a hair short of 42,000 pounds, loaded and unloaded via a rear ramp to handle various sorts of heavy load. It would have to be able to cruise at speeds of about 990 kilometers per hour, 615 miles per hour, while being able to approach runways at the same low speeds as the C-130J. Finally, it would need to do double-duty as both a tactical airlifter, and an air-to-air refueling tanker, in order to offer all the functionality of its competitor aircraft in its overhauled package. The program kicked off in full in the year 2009, with a lump of cash equivalent to one and a half billion dollars US to build its prototypes. Embraer picked out its engine, choosing to optimize its new airplane into a craft that would excel in relatively standard climates rather than having to survive under especially extreme conditions. The company began dropping hints and timelines to the global public, especially potential buyer nations, and announced that it would be able to carry more than initially anticipated, adding new capacity on the order of two metric tons. They also came out with a number, as early as April of 2011, that revealed what might end up being a booming market for their aircraft in the very near future. According to Embraer projections at that time, nearly seven hundred military transport aircraft would have to be replaced just in the next ten years, to say nothing of the numbers that might be requested during the following decades when the C-390's production lines would be operating in full force. By that time, Brazil had put in multiple orders for the aircraft, Argentina had asked for six modified into tanker versions, and Portugal, France, and the Czech Republic were already indicating a strong interest, all without ever having seen a prototype. Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and even America's Boeing company signed on to the project, although a brief attempt to start a joint venture between Boeing and Embraer in 2019 would ultimately fall through. Major aerospace designers from the UK, the Czech Republic, the US, Germany, and elsewhere contributed materials and design elements, in what was quickly becoming a chimera of an aircraft that could unify the best minds of many nations at once. In late October of 2014, the inaugural Embraer prototype saw sunlight for the very first time, and less than five months later, it would take its maiden flight. As the months wore on, the good vibes and good luck of the C-390 program continued to make themselves known; the aircraft was able to overcome an anticipated two-year delay in flight testing due to the state of the Brazilian economy, and instead pushed through to log hundreds of hours of flight testing in that time. The aircraft was pushed to its limits, reached operational capability, and even proved that it would boast a highly competitive price tag. Despite its jet engines, its all-new design, its better-than-anticipated carrying capacity, and a considerably higher top speed and service ceiling, it was expected to sell for fifteen million dollars *cheaper* than the C-130J it was meant to surpass, at no more than fifty-five million dollars US per unit. After innumerable tests, boundary-pushing missions on all seven continents, and a cascade of good press, airshow appearances, and interested client nations, the Millennium was finally cleared as fully operational in early 2023, paving the way for this highly impressive aircraft to change the world. ## Specs and Capabilities The C-390 Millennium is a twin-engine, high-wing jet aircraft, operated by a crew of three: a pilot, a copilot, and a loadmaster. It measures a length, tip to tail, of 35.2 meters or 115 and a half feet, against a wingspan of just over 35 meters, 115 feet even, giving it a functionally square profile from the top down. At full capacity, the 12-meter-tall, 38-foot-tall Millennium can take off at a weight of up to 87,000 kilograms; that's nearly 192,000 pounds. It's powered by a pair of V2500-E5 turbofan engines, the same ones that power the Airbus A320 family of commercial aircraft. Flying at full power, it can hit top speeds of 988 kilometers per hour or 614 miles per hour, while it cruises at speeds of 870 kilometers per hour, 540 miles per hour, comparable with a commercial jetliner. Despite its highly respectable top speed, it can fly very slowly as needed, only stalling out when it drops below 193 kilometers per hour, or 120 miles per hour. It can hit a service ceiling of 11,000 meters or 36,000 feet, again comparable to most commercial airliners around the world. But the Millennium's claim to fame, as should rightfully be expected of a tactical airlifter, is the intersection between its carrying capacity and its range. The C-390 can carry up to twenty-six metric tons or 57,000 pounds of payload, arranged in a number of ways. It can carry up to eighty troops at a time, up to seventy-four stretchers with room for eight onboard medics, sixty-six paratroopers, up to seven standardized master pallets, or thirty-six troops *while* still carrying six pallets. It can handle up to two fully-tracked M113 armored personnel carriers, each capable of rolling off and carrying a machine gun and up to fifteen passengers immediately into combat, or one copy of either Brazil's Guarani armored vehicle or the German-Dutch Boxer fighting vehicle. If needed, it can even transport a full Black Hawk helicopter inside. It's capable of airdropping loads of up to nineteen metric tons, 42,000 pounds, while onboard troops are granted a level of passenger comfort that most tactical airlifters don't even bother to match, including climate control, a highly accessible toilet, and vibration reduction features to stabilize the hold. While carrying a relatively standard load of fourteen metric tons, the Millennium can fly at a distance of over five thousand kilometers or 3,100 miles, enough to complete trips like New York to LA, Brasilia to southern Patagonia, London to Damascus or Kyiv, or Hong Kong to Tokyo on a single tank of fuel. Carrying the absolute most it can bear, the C-390 can still fly a distance of two thousand kilometers or over 1,200 miles, while it can hit a ferry range of up to 8,500 kilometers or 5,200 miles if it uses auxiliary fuel tanks. Onboard, the C-390 features a wide range of modern design elements to bring it up to a 21st-century standard, while maintaining flexibility in both its hauling function and the way it carries out its mission. The aircraft is built to be highly modular, with an interior and an exterior that can be rapidly modified to perform multiple mission roles in quick succession. It features a glass cockpit with head-up displays integrating to an enhanced flight vision system, which scans the scene around the aircraft using four cameras and relays those views to the pilots in real time. It flies using full fly-by-wire controls, advanced avionics, a tactical radar with several different operating modes, and a countermeasures suite including chaff, flares, and infrared self-defense. An onboard computer calculates all its drop points, before handing over to other software to handle precise drops, while another onboard system provides continual monitoring of all important hardware and software. The Millennium is proven in nearly all weather conditions, and has performed well everywhere from the Antarctic cold to the incredibly humid and hot Brazilian summer. It's able to descend under operator control at rates of up to 2,700 meters or 9,000 feet per minute, and it can land and take off on damaged, sandy, grassy, or otherwise subpar runways with ease. It can take off and land at short distances, it's surprisingly nimble for its size, and it can carry advanced targeting pods or air-to-air refueling equipment on three external hardpoints. It can refuel two aircraft at once while in flight, at speeds as high as 560 kilometers per hour to serve Brazil's advanced fighter jets or as slow as 220 kilometers per hour to serve its turboprop-driven attack aircraft; that's a top limit of 347 miles per hour, and a bottom limit of just 136. All that, the Millennium makes possible at altitudes from two thousand to thirty-two-thousand feet, 610 to 9,700 meters. And when the aircraft is measured directly against its competitors in the world of tactical airlift, it gets even more impressive than it already was. It beats out the best iteration of the C-130, the Super Hercules, by seven *thousand* kilograms, cruising over 200 kilometers per hour faster, and flying 1,700 kilometers further at a normal payload. That's to say nothing of how thoroughly the Millennium beats out older models of the C-130, the ones that Embraer was most looking forward to replacing. The Italian Spartan aircraft can carry twenty fewer troops or less than *half* the C-390's stretchers, it can airdrop less than half of what the Millennium can, and it lags badly behind in terms of speed, while it's got to trim down its load to just 4,500 kilograms to carry as far as the Millennium can carry *fourteen thousand* kg. The C-295 also falls short in carrying capacity when measured in soldiers, stretchers, pallets, or vehicles, while at a huge payload disadvantage and flying at a comparatively miserable cruising speed and altitude. China's Y-9 boasts a similar capacity to the Millennium but lags badly in both speed and range, while even the much larger A400M, by Airbus, doesn't offer nearly the improvements over the Millennium that should justify its larger size. We should be clear here; the direct comparisons between the Millennium and these other aircraft aren't always fair, since those aircraft's frankly lesser performance can make them *more* appropriate for certain operational assignments. But the C-390 still beats them all, at a price point that can compete with any of them, and is even considerably cheaper than the A400M and the C-130J. And even despite its jet engines, the C-390 can hang with *all* of them in the short-takeoff-and-landing, and low-stall-speed areas where turboprop aircraft *should* retain an advantage. ## Operation and Rapid Adoption The C-390 Millennium is still a very new aircraft, with just a handful of production models currently out in the world, and as such, it hasn't gotten *that* much of a workout in its tactical airlift role—certainly not in active combat. That being said, the aircraft has nonetheless proven its potential every time it's gotten the chance, in roles that closely mirror what it would be asked to do in a combat environment. Since the C-390 is not a combat aircraft, and *really* shouldn't ever be logging air-to-air kills, it can demonstrate its worthiness in just about every area where it's designed to operate—and thus far, it's done very well. In its first three and a half years in service to Brazil, the C-390 logged over eight thousand flight-hours across six thousand flights, boasting mission completion rates well over ninety-nine percent. All those stats, despite the Brazilian Air Force having less than half a dozen of the aircraft at that time. To date, the aircraft has taken part in a wide range of disaster relief operations, airlifting COVID patients out of the isolated and undersupplied Brazilian city of Manaus, responding to the 2020 Beirut explosion, bringing medicine and search-and-rescue equipment after Haiti's 2021 earthquake, and more. The Millennium has rescued Brazilians and other South American citizens from Ukraine, transported Black Hawk helicopters for Portugal, and taken part in a wide range of military exercises around the world. The Millennium has yet to suffer an airframe loss or a major accident, and it's proven more than capable of filling every mission role for which it was designed. And just as Embraer predicted all those years ago, the availability of a modern, jet-powered tactical airlifter has led to a wide range of world nations taking notice. Brazil flies just seven of the aircraft so far, but plans to field a total of twenty-six. Hungary has been delivered one, and will fly another shortly. Portugal has ordered five, of which it's received two at the time of writing. Austria plans to receive four, the Czech Republic plans to receive two, South Korea will pick up three, the Netherlands will obtain five, and both Slovakia and Sweden have announced plans to procure the aircraft, although the total number in each nation's order has yet to be announced. The aircraft has even been purchased by a mystery customer, with a contract for two of the jets established between Embraer and an undisclosed client somewhere around the world. In several of those nations, the C-390 has been chosen to directly replace a fleet of American C-130s, and has beaten out competitor offers from Lockheed Martin offering Super Hercules aircraft as a replacement. Several other nations are thought to be in the hunt for Millennium fighters of their own: Colombia for up to twelve, Greece and South Africa for up to six, Angola for up to four, Rwanda for up to two, and India for up to *forty*. Egypt appears hopeful to receive a yet-unspecified number of the jets, while Morocco has one for testing, Saudi Arabia is considering both buying them and building them locally, and BAE Systems is hawking them to the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait. The Brazilian military is looking into creating a version for intelligence and reconnaissance missions at sea. They're even being targeted for adaptation into a civilian cargo plane by a Brazilian postal company, quite possibly opening the door to a whole new market. To our knowledge here at Megaprojects, the C-390 has yet to *lose* a bid for a contract, or to be turned down after having been considered by any world nation. As a result, the problem facing the C-390 today isn't one of poor performance or global disinterest, but the sheer difficulty of what will likely become a scramble to keep up with demand. On the broad spectrum of problems to have, we admit, that's a pretty good one to be dealing with—but it's a problem nonetheless. At current count, there are a total of just fifteen C-390s in the hands of global militaries, after main-line production began all the way back in 2018. Embraer currently forecasts a market demand for nearly 500 of its Millennium aircraft between now and the mid-2040s, comprising a market it assesses to be worth sixty billion US dollars, and doesn't count over 250 tactical airlifters around the world that have reached retirement age. According to the CEO of Embraer Defense, the company can currently assemble and deliver up to eighteen aircraft per year—but the aircraft's suppliers have had trouble getting component parts to Brazil in time. The company expects to produce just twelve aircraft a year by 2030, and the solution here isn't to simply build more assembly lines. Under current conditions, those lines would have nothing to assemble—and any relief will have to come from improvement by Embraer's parts suppliers around the world. It's a difficult bottleneck, limiting the potential of what is clearly a tremendously promising aircraft. If the delays persist, many of these global militaries that have already signed contracts will be forced to extend the lives of at least a portion of their pre-existing tactical airlift fleet—despite the fact that they'd very much like to offload that old stock. New potential clients, including many of the oil-rich Gulf states and the entire NATO alliance, might have to start second-guessing whether it's really worth waiting around for the Millennium, versus either selecting a less-capable competitor aircraft in order to get new capabilities sooner, or even designing an alternative themselves. In a worst-case scenario, they might even let their tactical airlift capabilities lapse, holding out for a Millennium program beset by delays and stretched too thin to satisfy everyone. All three options come at a considerable cost to the nations that would choose them, but time waits for no one, and time will certainly not wait for Embraer. Perhaps Saudi Arabia can assist with an infusion of new overseas production capacity, or perhaps other nations and corporations will step up to help this highly lucrative aircraft realize its true potential. Or, perhaps the program will fizzle out, far sooner than the Millennium deserves. No matter the real-world constraints on production, Brazil and the Embraer corporation have produced a phenomenal aircraft with the C-390. It's highly capable, it's flexible through a wide range of mission roles, and when you measure it against the competition, it's no contest at all. It's one of the most understated defense-world victories of the entire 21st century, how a company taking its first crack at a tactical airlifter put *all* of its global competitor aircraft to shame. But the story of the C-390 Millennium is one that might be told a good deal more often, in the years and the decades to come. ## Key Takeaways - The C-390 Millennium, Brazil's tactical airlifter, has set a new global standard. - Embraer designed the C-390 to replace aging C-130 aircraft with modern capabilities. - The C-390 outperforms competitors in speed, range, and carrying capacity. - High demand for the C-390 is challenging Embraer's production and supply chain. - The C-390 has proven reliable in disaster relief and military exercises worldwide. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the C-390 Millennium? The C-390 Millennium is a twin-engine, high-wing jet aircraft designed and manufactured by Embraer in Brazil. It is a tactical airlifter that has set a new standard in its class, known for its versatility, carrying capacity, and range. ### What are the key features of the C-390 Millennium? The C-390 Millennium features a length of 35.2 meters, a wingspan of 35 meters, and can take off at a weight of up to 87,000 kilograms. It is powered by two V2500-E5 turbofan engines, can reach top speeds of 988 km/h, and has a service ceiling of 11,000 meters. It can carry up to 26 metric tons of payload and has a range of over 5,000 kilometers with a standard load. ### How does the C-390 Millennium compare to the C-130 Hercules? The C-390 Millennium outperforms the C-130 Hercules in several areas, including carrying capacity, speed, and range. It can carry seven thousand kilograms more, cruise over 200 kilometers per hour faster, and fly 1,700 kilometers further with a normal payload. ### What is the operational history of the C-390 Millennium? Since its introduction, the C-390 Millennium has been used in various disaster relief operations, military exercises, and humanitarian missions. It has logged over 8,000 flight-hours across 6,000 flights with a mission completion rate of over 99%. ### Which countries have adopted the C-390 Millennium? Countries that have adopted or plan to adopt the C-390 Millennium include Brazil, Hungary, Portugal, Austria, the Czech Republic, South Korea, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Sweden, and an undisclosed customer. Several other nations are considering or have shown interest in the aircraft. ### What are the potential future applications of the C-390 Millennium? The C-390 Millennium is being considered for various roles, including intelligence and reconnaissance missions at sea, adaptation into a civilian cargo plane, and potential use by oil-rich Gulf states and NATO alliance members. Embraer forecasts a market demand for nearly 500 aircraft by the mid-2040s. ### What challenges does the C-390 Millennium face in production? The primary challenge facing the C-390 Millennium is the difficulty in meeting global demand due to supply chain issues. Embraer can currently deliver up to 18 aircraft per year, but suppliers have had trouble delivering component parts on time, limiting production to 12 aircraft per year by 2030. ### What is the significance of the C-390 Millennium in the defense industry? The C-390 Millennium represents a significant achievement for Brazil and Embraer, as it outperforms all global competitor aircraft in its class. It is considered one of the most understated defense-world victories of the 21st century. ### What is the price of the C-390 Millennium compared to its competitors? The C-390 Millennium is expected to sell for no more than $55 million per unit, which is $15 million cheaper than the C-130J and considerably cheaper than the A400M. ### What is the carrying capacity of the C-390 Millennium? The C-390 Millennium can carry up to 26 metric tons of payload. It can transport up to 80 troops, 74 stretchers with room for 8 medics, 66 paratroopers, 7 standardized master pallets, or 36 troops while carrying 6 pallets. It can also handle two fully-tracked M113 armored personnel carriers or one Black Hawk helicopter. ## Sources - [Original MegaProjects video: The C-390 Millennium: How Brazil Revolutionized Strategic Airlift](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svOmpggfyQo) - [https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/ASPJ/journals/Volume-31_Issue-1/V-Maywald_et_al.pdf](https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/ASPJ/journals/Volume-31_Issue-1/V-Maywald_et_al.pdf) - [https://scholar.afit.edu/facpub/1319/](https://scholar.afit.edu/facpub/1319/) - [https://www.flightglobal.com/farnborough-redesign-transforms-kc-390-into-all-new-market-threat-/113515.article](https://www.flightglobal.com/farnborough-redesign-transforms-kc-390-into-all-new-market-threat-/113515.article) - [https://www.flightglobal.com/brazilian-air-force-signs-deal-launching-embraer-kc-390-tanker-transport/85926.article](https://www.flightglobal.com/brazilian-air-force-signs-deal-launching-embraer-kc-390-tanker-transport/85926.article) - [https://en.mercopress.com/2011/04/19/argentina-joins-manufacturing-of-brazil-s-kc-390-jet-powered-military-transport](https://en.mercopress.com/2011/04/19/argentina-joins-manufacturing-of-brazil-s-kc-390-jet-powered-military-transport) - [https://web.archive.org/web/20160321110521/http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2016-02-17/embraers-kc-390-returns-flight-test](https://web.archive.org/web/20160321110521/http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2016-02-17/embraers-kc-390-returns-flight-test) - [https://www.flightglobal.com/embraer-announces-two-year-delay-for-kc-390/117789.article](https://www.flightglobal.com/embraer-announces-two-year-delay-for-kc-390/117789.article) - [https://www.flightglobal.com/embraer-kc-390-takes-maiden-flight/115805.article](https://www.flightglobal.com/embraer-kc-390-takes-maiden-flight/115805.article) - [https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/brazil/c-390.htm](https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/brazil/c-390.htm) - [https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/value-and-versatility-embraer-pitches-kc-390-to-the-usa/155028.article](https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/value-and-versatility-embraer-pitches-kc-390-to-the-usa/155028.article) - [https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/kc-390/](https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/kc-390/) - [https://www.asianmilitaryreview.com/2024/11/embraers-c-390-millennium-championing-modern-day-defense-needs/](https://www.asianmilitaryreview.com/2024/11/embraers-c-390-millennium-championing-modern-day-defense-needs/) - [https://www.key.aero/article/embraer-unveils-c-390-millennium](https://www.key.aero/article/embraer-unveils-c-390-millennium) - [https://defense.embraer.com/air/c-390/](https://defense.embraer.com/air/c-390/) - [https://militaryembedded.com/avionics/computers/c-390-millennium-multi-mission-aircraft-ordered-by-undisclosed-customer](https://militaryembedded.com/avionics/computers/c-390-millennium-multi-mission-aircraft-ordered-by-undisclosed-customer) - [https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/industry/undisclosed-customer-signs-for-two-embraer-c-390s](https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/industry/undisclosed-customer-signs-for-two-embraer-c-390s) - [https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/sweden-picks-embraers-c-390-new-military-cargo-aircraft-2024-11-09/](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/sweden-picks-embraers-c-390-new-military-cargo-aircraft-2024-11-09/) - [https://aviationweek.com/defense/multi-mission-aircraft/embraer-c-390-millennium-innovation-performance-reliability](https://aviationweek.com/defense/multi-mission-aircraft/embraer-c-390-millennium-innovation-performance-reliability) - [https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/embraer-delivers-seventh-c-390-millennium-to-brazil/](https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/embraer-delivers-seventh-c-390-millennium-to-brazil/) - [https://simpleflying.com/embraer-sells-2-c-390-millennium-undisclosed-10th-nation/](https://simpleflying.com/embraer-sells-2-c-390-millennium-undisclosed-10th-nation/) - [https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/defense/press-release/21203475/embraer-embraer-delivers-the-fourth-c-390-millennium-airlifter-to-the-brazilian-air-force](https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/defense/press-release/21203475/embraer-embraer-delivers-the-fourth-c-390-millennium-airlifter-to-the-brazilian-air-force) - [https://www.edrmagazine.eu/embraer-strongly-pushes-its-c-390-millenium-on-the-international-market](https://www.edrmagazine.eu/embraer-strongly-pushes-its-c-390-millenium-on-the-international-market) - [https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/embraer-formalizes-c-390-sales-austria-netherlands-deliveries-2027-2024-07-22/#:~:text=Embraer%20is%20currently%20working%20to,2030%2C%22%20the%20executive%20said](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/embraer-formalizes-c-390-sales-austria-netherlands-deliveries-2027-2024-07-22/#:~:text=Embraer%20is%20currently%20working%20to,2030%2C%22%20the%20executive%20said) - [https://simpleflying.com/embraer-c-390-production-rate-ramp-up/](https://simpleflying.com/embraer-c-390-production-rate-ramp-up/) - [Hero image source](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Lockheed_Martin_F-22A_Raptor_JSOH.jpg) by Rob Shenk from Great Falls, VA, USA / openverse, by-sa. ## Related Coverage