Embraer to expand C-390 platform for ISR missions

Embraer has signed an agreement with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) to enhance studies on expanding the capabilities of its C-390 Millennium aircraft for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

The focus for the C-390’s expansion will be on maritime patrol, Embraer has said.

Bosco da Costa Junior, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security said: “We are honoured to move forward with the FAB on studies to expand the operational capabilities of the C-390 Millennium.

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"It reinforces our commitment to always offer our customers an aircraft capable of carrying out their most challenging missions with unparalleled efficiency.”

As noted by Lt Brig Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, Commander of the FAB, the studies on the C-390 had “evolved in a structured way, analysing the aircraft’s capability to evolve in order to meet the current and future needs of the Brazilian Air Force”.

Embraer’s C-390 Millennium has already been chosen by several NATO countries as the tanker/transport aircraft of choice to modernise their air forces. This included orders from Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Sweden.

The C-390 is already designed for a range of missions, including cargo and troop transport, delivery and aerial refuelling, search and rescue and medical evacuation. According to a company spokesperson, the C-390 can be “modified in hours” to be ready for new missions.

While exploring the potential of the ISR variant is a new step for the manufacturer, Embraer has previously said it wanted to expand the C-390s capabilities, including making it more interoperable among its customers within NATO and South Korea.

In terms of a pre-existing ISR platform, Embraer has the E-99M, a modified variant of the ERJ-145 regional jet, as an airborne early warning and control aircraft. It is still in use by the FAB, where it delivered the fifth upgraded E-99 in 2023, among other nations, including the Greek, Mexican and the Indian air forces.

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KC-390/C-390 Millennium