| C-390 Millennium | |
|---|---|
.jpg) C-390 Millennium in flight | |
| General information | |
| Type | Medium-sized military transport, aerial refuelling aircraft |
| National origin | Brazil |
| Manufacturer | Embraer |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | Brazilian Air Force |
| Number built | 10[citation needed] |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 2014–present |
| Introduction date | 2019[1] |
| First flight | 3 February 2015[2] |
The Embraer C-390 Millennium is a medium-size, twin-engine, jet-powered military transport aircraft designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer. It is the heaviest aircraft the company has constructed to date.[3][4]
Work on the project began at Embraer during the mid-2000s, with early efforts centred around a conceptual derivative of the E190 jetliner of a similar size to the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The company was keen to use turbofan jet engines, instead of turboprops. Support for the venture was forthcoming from both the Brazilian government and the Brazilian Air Force. In May 2008, the government invested R$800 million (US$440M) in the project's development. In April 2009, Embraer was issued a $1.5 billion contract for two prototypes. At the 2011 Paris Air Show, Embraer announced plans to launch a stretched version of the aircraft as a civilian freighter. Partnerships were promptly formed with various other aerospace companies on the programme, including FAdeA, ENAER, OGMA, and Boeing. A joint venture with Boeing was announced in November 2019, but quickly fell apart within six months. Major subcontractors in the aircraft's manufacturing include Aero Vodochody, BAE Systems, and Rockwell Collins.
On 3 February 2015, the first of two prototypes performed its maiden flight. On 4 September 2019, the first production aircraft was delivered to the Brazilian Air Force.[5] In November 2019, during the Dubai Airshow, Embraer announced the aircraft's new name for the global market, C-390 Millennium.[6][7] Several export customers for the C-390 have been secured, including the Portuguese Air Force, Hungarian Air Force, and the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The C-390 can be configured to perform various conventional operations such as troop, VIP and cargo transportation, and more specialised logistical operations such as aerial refuelling as a tanker. It can carry payloads of up to 26 t (57,000 lb), such as two fully-tracked M113 armored personnel carriers, one Boxer armoured vehicle, a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, 74 litters with life-support equipment, up to 80 soldiers or 66 paratroopers with full gear, and loads of up to 42,000 lb (19 t) can be air dropped.
- ^ "Embraer entrega primeiro avião multimissão KC-390 à Força Aérea Brasileira". Poder Aéreo (in Portuguese). 4 September 2019.
- ^ Parsons, Dan (3 February 2015). "Embraer KC-390 takes maiden flight". Flightglobal. Washington, DC. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ "FAB and Embraer Announce Plan for KC 390 Initial Acquisition" (Press release). São José dos Campos: Embraer. 21 July 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ "Inside Embraer's KC-390 Tanker/Transport". Aviation Week. 25 February 2011. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012.
- ^ O'Connor, Kate (5 September 2019). "Embraer Delivers First KC-390". Avweb. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
- ^ "Embraer divulga nome e designação de seu avião de transporte multimissão: C-390 Millennium". Embraer. 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Boeing-Embraer joint venture: KC-390 becomes C-390 Millennium". Aerotime Hub. 18 November 2019.