August crewed air review: KC-390 momentum builds as demand in the tanker market grows
Colombia’s acquisition of the KC-390 makes it the 11th country to order the platform. (Photo: Embraer)
The KC-390 is building a growing international operator base, but competition in the transport and tanker market is increasingly likely to depend on interoperability, commonality and the strength of supporting ecosystems. Meanwhile, Boeing’s KC-46 and Airbus’s A330 also gained ground in August.
This past month, Embraer’s KC-390 won yet another major deal as Colombia ordered two of the aircraft. The contract makes Colombia the 11th country to order the aircraft and adds to Embraer’s growing international order list for the platform.
The contract, which was signed in August, makes Colombia the first Latin American nation, beyond Brazil, to acquire the aircraft. The decision to pursue the KC-390 follows years of frustration from the Colombian government with the country’s fleet of second-hand transport aircraft, underscored by the 2026 C-130 Hercules crash, which killed more than 60 service members.
The two platforms contracted to Colombia will be delivered across
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![US military tests AI-powered CUAS turret against drone swarms]()
US military tests AI-powered CUAS turret against drone swarms
As the US continues to invest heavily in counter-drone systems, demand for low-cost, mobile and autonomous technologies is on the rise, with Edda designed to align with these emerging requirements.
-
![USMC advances MV-22B Osprey safety and reliability upgrades]()
USMC advances MV-22B Osprey safety and reliability upgrades
The US Marine Corps is testing a redesigned input quill assembly and plans to transition its MV-22B fleet to improved gearboxes by January 2033 as it prepares to operate the tiltrotor through 2055.
-
![Swedish Air Force faces up to the challenge of new aircraft and an uncrewed horizon]()
Swedish Air Force faces up to the challenge of new aircraft and an uncrewed horizon
Sweden is an outlier as a smaller nation with its own indigenous fighter aircraft and airborne early warning platform and is now looking at how local company Saab Aerospace can meet the plans for a collaborative combat aircraft.
-
![Ageing RQ-11 Raven fleets create a global replacement opportunity]()
Ageing RQ-11 Raven fleets create a global replacement opportunity
The RQ-11 Raven is being retired from service across most of its more than 30 operators. Defence Insight estimates that these Raven retirements open up a replacement market worth at least $576 million, but suppliers will have to act quickly and strike a balance between cost and capability to succeed.
