Brazilian aerospace corporation Embraer has announced that the Portuguese State has made the decision to acquire its sixth KC-390 Millennium aircraft, which is manufactured by Embraer. This was revealed at the 55th Paris Air Show, taking place this week at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, continuing a long-standing partnership between Embraer and the Portuguese Air Force.
Embraer and Portugal: Continued Cooperation
The announcement at this year’s Paris Air Show follows the Portuguese government’s acquisition of five KC-390 aircraft in August 2019. Including its newest potential purchase, the Portuguese Air Force (FAP)’s transport fleet will boast six new-generation KC-390 aircraft, which will fulfill the missions of the Portuguese Armed Forces and other national interests as they serve their function as military transport and aerial refuelling aircraft.
In addition to these purchases, Embraer and the FAP both intend to include ten purchase options in their current contract for possible future acquisitions of KC-390 aircraft by European nations or NATO member states through Portugal. This will provide an additional benefit of reducing costs associated with training, logistical support and the life cycle of Embraer’s Millennium aircraft.
The Minister of Defence of Portugal, Nuno Melo, gave the following statement:
“With this decision, Portugal continues to invest in the capabilities of the Air Force, at a time when it becomes the reference operator of this aircraft, which has unique characteristics, and which was integrated and tested in Portugal. The inclusion of ten purchase options for future government-to-government negotiations will allow other European and NATO nations to acquire, through Portugal, interoperable and versatile platforms, enabling for the continuous development of the Defense Technological and Industrial Base, with the consequent financial return for the country, and the affirmation of the Portuguese Air Force as a partner of excellence in operations and training, for example, through its KC-390 Training Centre.”
About Embraer and the KC-390
Embraer’s KC-390 aircraft, also called the C-390, is a medium-size, jet-powered military transport and refuelling aircraft designed and manufactured by the Brazilian aerospace firm. It is the heaviest aircraft the company has constructed and sees use in the Brazilian, Portuguese and Hungarian Air Forces.
Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO of Embraer Defence and Security, gave his thoughts following the reveal of Portugal and Embraer’s new agreement at the Paris Air Show:
“We are extremely honored with the possibility to expand our partnership with the Portuguese Air Force and the Portuguese State. The acquisition of the sixth KC-390 by the FAP, which has been operating the aircraft since 2023, will be the first additional purchase by an operator, which demonstrates the recognition of the quality and operational results that this aircraft has achieved. The interest in placing additional options on the contract is confirmation that more Western countries may very soon join this group of operators, benefiting all of them in economic synergies throughout the life cycle of the KC-390.”
The KC-390 has a wide range of applications, such as cargo and troop transport and airdrops, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue (SAR), humanitarian aid and disaster response (HADR), firefighting and aerial refueling (AAR), both as a tanker and receiver. It can also support maritime surveillance, and its ability to take off from short runways and refuel other aircraft is vital in order to meet Portugal’s defence needs.
Embraer is a global aerospace corporation with its headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil. Since its inception in 1969, it has delivered over 9,000 aircraft for commercial, executive, agricultural and defence applications.
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