Why Embraer’s C-390 Millennium’s star is on the rise

Embraer’s medium airlift transport aircraft has enjoyed a recent surge in sales momentum, with six customers confirming orders for an estimated 19 aircraft in 2024, with some slated for delivery in 2025.

Previously designated as the KC-390, the C-390 Millennium named the Brazilian Air Force as the launch customer in 2014, with it first entering service in 2019. Since then, Embraer has had 10 customers sign for the aircraft, with plenty of other interest reportedly in the pipeline.

Compared against other transport aircraft options, it is the newest entrant into the market, competing against the likes of Lockheed Martin’s C-130H Hercules, its newer version the C-130J Super Hercules, or even Airbus’ A400M multirole tanker-transport (MRTT) aircraft.

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The aircraft is designed for a range of missions, with configurations for humanitarian support, medical evacuation, air-to-air refuelling, cargo and troop transport and aerial delivery.

However, while Embraer’s orderbook for this aircraft has rapidly expanded, the overall production rate and numbers delivered for the aircraft still remain small. It reported a slight increase in deliveries in 2024, a total of three versus two in 2023.

Forces’ ageing transport aircraft may benefit Embraer

The age of the latter multi-role aircraft, however, has opened a doorway for Embraer to those countries looking to replace part, or all, of their ageing C-130 transport fleets – particularly NATO countries.

Speaking at the 2024 pre-Farnborough Airshow media event, Embraer said that it foresaw an addressable market for its tactical airlifter over the next 20 years of around 490 aircraft, worth approximately US$60billion.

The manufacturer further estimated that around 260 tactical airlifter aircraft were due to retire soon from various air forces’ fleets, making its C-390 an ideal future medium airlift replacement candidate.

Hungary received the first of its C-390 aircraft in April, while the Netherlands and Austria – the latter a non-NATO country – made a joint acquisition announcement of the aircraft at the Farnborough Airshow in July 2024: five for the Netherlands and four for Austria, to replace its ageing C-130 fleets.

The long-awaited consideration of the C-390 by the Czech Republic finally came to fruition, as the country announced it would acquired two C-390 aircraft for its defence forces in October 2024.

Sweden and Slovakia followed soon after as in November and December, announcements were made that the two countries had signed letters of intent to select the aircraft for their defence forces. While Sweden did not disclose the exact number estimates put it around three to four, whereas Slovakia signed intent to purchase three C-390s in January 2025.

At the end of December, Embraer announced that another undisclosed country had placed an order for two aircraft.

A list of potential and current orders compared by country.✅ This data has been verified by the same team that brings you Defence Insight. Want to learn more?

What about Asia and the Middle East?

At the Singapore Airshow in February 2024, the Brazilian manufacturer said that it was eyeing “strong sales potential” in the Asian market, following on from its win in South Korea’s transport aircraft competition. The nation ordered an undisclosed number of the aircraft in December 2023.

Frederico Lemos, CMO of Embraer Defense and Space, told Shephard at the time that it wanted “to deliver well, fast [and to a] good quality, so any additional production line needs to be backed up with a sensible business approach” following on from its agreement with Singaporean firm ST Engineering.

In the Middle East, Embraer’s agreement with Morocco in October 2024 could hint at future collaboration and orders down the line for its future tactical airlift capabilities. India, too, has been identified as a potential future customer, with Embraer noting that it was in an ‘active tender’ process at its pre-Farnborough day in July.

The manufacturer and Indian defence firm, Mahindra, signed a memorandum of understanding in February 2024, identifying next steps in its Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) acquisition project.

Over in Africa, Embraer reportedly welcomed a South African delegation to its facilities in Brazil in November. The South African Air Force (SAAF) has reportedly been interested in the aircraft since it was showcased at the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition earlier that year. 

Expansion and C-390 ISR capabilities

In 2025, Embraer’s momentum with the C-390 appears to be a strong one. Expansion is on the horizon for manufacturer, with Embraer announcing at the end of 2024 that it had signed an agreement to set up a subsidiary in Portugal. While Portugal is already a customer of the C-390 aircraft, the intention for this subsidiary is to reportedly serve as the spearhead of the manufacturer’s defence initiatives in Europe.

It also signed an agreement with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) to enhance studies for the aircraft, exploring options to expand the C-390s capabilities to include Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions (ISR) missions – particularly focused on maritime patrol.

As stated 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”.

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