Embraer announced on 27 September 2024 that it has delivered the seventh C-390 Millennium airlifter to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB).
This milestone comes as the FAB celebrates five years of service with the C-390 after the first one was delivered on 4 September 2019.
The delivered aircraft will be operated by the First Squadron of the First Transport Group (1º/1º GT) at Galeão Air Force Base in Rio de Janeiro.
The Brazilian government originally ordered 28 C-390s for the FAB in 2014, although this order was subsequently reduced to 22 aircraft in February 2022 following financial austerity measures in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. In October 2022 the FAB order was further cut to 19 aircraft.
The C-390 can carry more payload (26 tonnes concentrated) compared to other medium-sized military transport aircraft and flies faster (870 km/h). By comparison, a Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules has a maximum payload of 21.7 tonnes and a maximum cruising speed of 657 km/h.
While the C-390 can achieve a range of 2,000 km with a 26-tonne payload, the C-130J-30 can reach 4,425 km with a 20-tonne payload.
However, when configured with air-to-air refuelling equipment, when it is designated the KC-390, a Millennium can both dispense fuel and receive it from another KC-390, extending its range.
As well as the FAB, the C-390 is also in service with Portugal and Hungary, while the type has been ordered by Austria, the Netherlands and South Korea.
According to Embraer the current fleet of C-390s worldwide has accumulated more than 14,000 flight hours, achiefing a mission capability rate of 93% and mission completion rates above 99%.
