FIA 2026: Embraer, Anduril sign agreement to develop cruise missile launch capability for the C-390

Embraer and Anduril Industries have signed a memorandum of understanding to install palletised Barracuda-500M cruise missiles on the C-390 tactical transport aircraft. The weapons will be launched from the aircraft’s rear ramp. 

Bosco Da Costa Junior, president and chief executive of Embraer Defense & Security, said: “By exploring the integration of palletised kinetic and non-kinetic effects, we are further expanding the aircraft’s flexibility to meet evolving needs of modern air forces.” 

Pictures displayed by Embraer at Farnborough show 50 missiles being loaded on a C-390.

South Korea could be interested in this capability as the country is set to receive three of the type and faces threats from its northern neighbour, which has a vast military arsenal. 

The US Air Force has also test-launched cruise missiles from the ramps of military transports and has asked for information from defence contractors on low-cost weapons capable of being deployed this way.

The Barracuda-500M is part of a family of turbojet-powered cruise missiles developed by Anduril  In May, the company signed a framework agreement with the US Department of War to supply at least 3,000 of the air vehicles, with deliveries to the US Army starting in mid-2027 at a rate of 1,000 units per year. 

The Barracuda family has a modular open-systems architecture that reportedly enables quick integration and testing with new component technology. The system is built with “ten or fewer tools”, which, according to Anduril, accelerates assembly and enables the rapid launch of new production lines.​

As reported by Shephard at the Paris Air Show 2025, Anduril announced a partnership with Rheinmetall to develop and manufacture variants of its Barracuda and Fury systems for delivery to European armed forces.

Later, in September 2025, Anduril also signed a strategic agreement with the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) to jointly develop and produce autonomous air systems and potentially work on a Polish variant of Barracuda-500M.

Shephard’s Farnborough International Airshow coverage is sponsored by MBDA