EMBRAER HAS UNVEILED its C-390 Millennium medium-lift multi-mission aircraft at the Dubai Air Show – a new name and designation for the KC-390 platform.
The announcement came on November 18, with the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer adding that the C-390 designation “reflects increased flexibility and value for operators”.
Embraer's C-390 Millennium can be employed in a variety of roles, including tactical transport, search and rescue (SAR), paratroop/cargo insertion, aerial firefighting, medical evacuation and can act in humanitarian missions. The KC-390 designation will be retained for customers who order – or currently operate – the aircraft with an additional air-to-air refuelling capability.
![C-390 [Embraer]](https://www.airtrafficmanagement.net/sites/keyatm/files/styles/article_body/public/inline-images/C-390%20Millennium%20%5BEmbraer%5D%20%231.jpg?itok=OByemgPq)
Jackson Schneider, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security said: “The C-390 is a highly capable aircraft. Its unrivalled combination of speed, payload and rapid reconfigurability for multi-mission operations are the cornerstones of its excellent productivity.”
The company boasts that the C-390 Millennium presents the “lowest life-cycle cost in the medium airlift market” and that the aircraft boasts a rugged design with increased mobility, high flexibility and easy maintenance combined with state-of-the-art, proven technology.
The Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force) contracted Embraer to design, develop and produce the newly christened C-390 in 2009 – the air arm has committed to use it to replace its ageing C-130 fleet. It first flew in 2015 and the FAB received its initial aircraft in 2019, as reported in the October issue of AirForces Monthly. The aircraft is powered by two International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500-E5 turbofan engines, has a cruising speed of Mach 0.8 (540mph, 870km/h), a maximum range of 1,520nm (1,750 miles/2,820km) and a service ceiling of 36,000ft (11,000m).
