Portugal signs contract for five KC-390s

Portugal has signed a contract with Embraer for the acquisition of five KC-390 multi-mission transport aircraft. 

Signed during a ceremony at the company’s Évora, Portugal facility on 22 August, the contract also includes services and support and a flight simulator, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2023.

Embraer says that the aircraft fully meets the requirements of the Portuguese air force to be able to perform different types of military and civilian missions, including humanitarian support, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting, cargo and troop transport, aerial delivery and aerial refuelling capabilities. 

‘This is the highest achievement of a careful selection process that makes us proud, representing the entry of the KC-390 into the international market. The KC-390 will meet Portugal's operational needs, ensuring the ability to integrate with allied nations for decades to come,’ Jackson Schneider, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, said. 

‘This contract strengthens the industrial partnership between Portugal and Embraer, contributing to the development of the engineering and aeronautics industry in Portugal.’

Portugal is the largest international partner of the KC-390 programme, and its participation in the development and production of the aircraft is expected to have a positive economic impact including the provision of jobs, new investments, increased exports and technological advance transfer in country. 

The KC-390 received its civil certification from the Brazilian National Aviation Agency in 2018 and is now in serial production. 

Entry into service is expected to take place in the third quarter of 2019 with the Brazilian air force, with follow-on deliveries to occur throughout the following year.