C-390 Millennium (Embraer).

The C-390 originated from the Brazilian Air Force's KC-X requirement, which sought a replacement for the C-130 fleet with substantially greater speed, payload efficiency and mission flexibility while maintaining tactical airlift capability. Embraer officially launched the program in April 2009 after several years of preliminary design studies. The first prototype was rolled out at Gavião Peixoto on October 21, 2014, followed by its maiden flight on February 3, 2015. Development involved a comprehensive flight-test campaign covering structural loads, flutter, cargo airdrop, assault landings, air-to-air refueling, icing, hot-and-high operations, low-speed handling and military mission qualification. The aircraft entered Brazilian Air Force service in September 2019 after completing a dual civil and military certification process.

Unlike many military transports derived from civilian aircraft, the basic C-390 was certificated under FAA 14 CFR Part 25 airworthiness standards through the Brazilian civil aviation authority, while military certification added requirements covering tactical flight envelopes, cargo airdrop, defensive systems, military communications and operational survivability. This dual-certification approach allowed Embraer to apply civil certification practices to improve safety, reliability and maintainability while validating military-specific capabilities separately. Unlike several transport aircraft in the same payload class, the C-390 uses high-bypass turbofan engines, enabling significantly higher transit speeds while maintaining tactical airlift capabilities, aerial delivery, medical evacuation, humanitarian relief, search and rescue, special operations and aerial refueling missions. According to Embraer, the aircraft can be reconfigured for different mission profiles in less than three hours, reducing fleet requirements while increasing aircraft utilization rates.

Structurally, the C-390 adopts a high-wing configuration with a T-tail, a hydraulically operated rear ramp, and a reinforced cargo floor. The aircraft was specifically designed to operate from short, austere, semi-prepared, damaged, and unpaved runways: the engines are mounted well above the wing root to reduce foreign object ingestion during operations from gravel, dirt, and semi-prepared runways. The landing gear was engineered specifically for repeated operations on austere airfields and to distribute loads on relatively soft surfaces. The C-390 is capable of operating under harsh climatic conditions, including hot deserts, humid tropical regions, and Antarctic environments, while maintaining high maneuverability on limited airfields with minimal infrastructure. Under representative tactical conditions, it can depart from a 4,000-ft semi-prepared runway carrying a 12-tonne payload over a 500-nautical-mile mission.

Mission flexibility was a primary design objective, as the C-390 Millennium was developed around a 169 m³ cargo compartment capable of rapidly transitioning between mission profiles in less than three hours. The aircraft can perform strategic and tactical airlift, cargo transport, troop deployment, combat offload, aerial assault, aerial resupply, air-to-air refueling, humanitarian assistance, medical evacuation, search and rescue, aerial firefighting, and special operations without requiring extensive modifications between missions. Cargo loading is supported by an integrated Cargo Handling System (CHS) incorporating software-controlled pallet locks, roller trays, cargo guidance rails, restraint systems, hydraulic stabilizer struts, and an onboard cargo winch. Moreover, the cargo floor is structurally rated to transport concentrated loads of up to 26 metric tons (57,320 lb) or distributed loads of 23 metric tons (50,706 lb).

As of July 2026, the C-390 Millennium has established itself as Embraer's most successful military export program. The aircraft has secured firm orders or official selections for 60 aircraft from Brazil (19), Portugal (6), Hungary (2), the Czech Republic (2), the Netherlands (5), Austria (4), the Republic of Korea (3), Sweden (4), Slovakia (3), Uzbekistan (2), the United Arab Emirates (10) and Greece (3), reflecting strong demand from both NATO and non-NATO operators seeking to replace aging C-130 fleets. Several European air forces selected the C-390 because its maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.8, 26-tonne payload capacity and multi-mission architecture enable faster strategic deployment while preserving tactical airlift capability from semi-prepared airfields. Compared with legacy turboprop transports such as the C-130, the higher transit speed allows more sorties to be generated over a given period, increasing operational availability and reducing fleet size requirements for equivalent transport output.

• C-390 Millennium: Standard tactical and strategic transport aircraft, with the "C" standing for Cargo.
• KC-390 Millennium: Multi-role tanker transport with a Cobham hose-and-drogue aerial refueling system capable of acting as a tanker or a receiver. In 2011, when the Brazilian Air Force decided that aerial refueling would become a core capability of the C-390, the designation changed to KC-390, with K standing for tankers, like in the U.S. Air Force.
• C-390 IVR: Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) version under development by Brazil and Portugal.
• C-390 MPA (Maritime Patrol Aircraft): Dedicated maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare variant under joint development by Embraer, the Brazilian Air Force and the Portuguese Air Force. Planned mission systems include a maritime surveillance radar, EO/IR turret, sonobuoy launchers, acoustic processing suite, magnetic anomaly detector (optional), electronic support measures, and the ability to employ anti-ship missiles, lightweight torpedoes, and search-and-rescue equipment.
• KCV-390 Millennium: Czech Air Force designation of the KC-390.
• Palletized Stand-Off Strike: Embraer is developing a palletized modular roll-on/roll-off weapon system, enabling the transport aircraft to double as a stand-off strike platform. A partnership with Anduril Industries is exploring the launch capability of the Barracuda family of cruise missiles/loitering munitions directly from the C-390 cargo hold.
• MEDEVAC configuration: Roll-on/roll-off medical evacuation installation supporting up to 74 litters with medical attendants.
• Firefighting configuration: This configuration uses the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System II (MAFFS II), a roll-on/roll-off module installed in the cargo compartment without permanent aircraft modifications. The system can carry and release up to 11,000 liters of water or fire retardant in approximately 5 seconds, while more recent Brazilian Air Force data cites an operational capacity of approximately 12,000 liters of water discharged in 7 seconds following system refinements.
• Search and Rescue: Configured for combat search and rescue with EO/IR sensors and mission consoles.