Czech Air Force takes delivery of first Embraer C-390 Millennium transport aircraft from Brazil.

The first Czech Air Force Embraer C-390 Millennium transport aircraft arrived at the 24th Air Transportation Base in Prague-Kbely on July 6, 2026, following the successful completion of flight testing and manufacturer acceptance trials in Brazil. This strategic induction resolves long-range transport limitations exposed during historic regional evacuations by establishing a sovereign, medium-lift jet capability. Designated locally as the KCV-390, the platform simultaneously introduces organic tactical aerial refueling and heavy infrastructure-independent deployment assets to the national inventory.

The CZK 11.3 billion procurement contract delivers an adaptable multirole platform featuring a 26-tonne maximum payload capacity, a 170-cubic-meter cargo hold, and an integrated hose-and-drogue aerial refueling suite. Operating with a maximum cruise speed of 470 knots and an extended ferry range of 8,000 kilometers via dual auxiliary tanks, the twin-engine jet allows the Czech military to airlift heavy assets like the Pandur II armored vehicle directly to austere global environments.

Related topic: Greece could buy 3 C-390 transport aircraft from Brazil by May 2026 to replace U.S. C-130 fleet

The first Czech C-390 Millennium carries a three-tone grey camouflage designed by Pavel Holý of the Military History Institute in Prague, and it is named after Brigadier General Karel Toman Mareš, the first commander of No. 311 Czechoslovak Bomber Squadron in the Royal Air Force. (Picture source: 24th Transport Air Force Base Prague-Kbely)

On July 6, 2026, the first Czech C-390 Millennium arrived at the 24th Air Transportation Base at Prague-Kbely after completing flight testing, systems checks and customer acceptance in Brazil, beginning the establishment of a new Czech medium jet airlift and aerial refuelling force. The aircraft is the first of two ordered from Embraer under a CZK 11.3 billion contract signed on October 25, 2024, equivalent to $508 million and excluding VAT. Its arrival followed the first flight on May 25, 2026, while formal acceptance into Czech Air Force service was scheduled for later in July. The second aircraft is scheduled for delivery in December 2027.

Both aircraft will carry the national designation KCV-390 Millennium as the Czech configuration combines cargo transport with hose-and-drogue refuelling equipment. The first aircraft also carries a three-tone grey camouflage designed by Pavel Holý of the Military History Institute in Prague to disrupt visual assessment of the aircraft's outline, range and direction of flight, and it is named after Brigadier General Karel Toman Mareš, the first commander of No. 311 Czechoslovak Bomber Squadron in the Royal Air Force. The operational requirement behind the KCV-390 emerged from the limits exposed during Czech evacuation missions from Afghanistan in 2021 and Sudan in 2023.

In both cases, the Czech Republic needed to move people over long distances from unstable regions but lacked a national aircraft combining large passenger capacity, heavy payload, defensive equipment and intercontinental reach. Existing C-295 and L-410 aircraft could carry personnel and lighter cargo, but they could not transport a Pandur II, a Black Hawk helicopter or similar equipment. With 14 tonnes aboard, the KCV-390's range covers much of the Middle East and parts of North and East Africa from Central Europe. With auxiliary tanks, the reach extends toward East Africa and South Asia. This reduces the number of intermediate stops, diplomatic clearances and ground-support arrangements required for evacuation or deployment missions.

It also reduces dependence on civilian charter aircraft, which generally lack missile warning systems, military communications, austere-runway capability and equipment for parachute delivery or in-flight refuelling. The aircraft does not remove the need for allied support during large operations, but it allows Prague to launch an initial national response, evacuate citizens, move a military detachment or deliver medical and engineering equipment without waiting for a multinational aircraft allocation. The CZK 11.3 billion package also includes mission planning systems, flight and maintenance training devices, ground support equipment, initial stocks of spare parts and consumables, maintenance facilities, logistics support, infrastructure modifications and assistance during military acceptance trials.

The first Czech conversion group includes six pilots, six flight engineers and twelve maintenance specialists. Initial instruction took place at Embraer facilities in Brazil, followed by six months of training and supervised operations in the Czech Republic with Brazilian instructors. The mission equipment package includes MAFFS II firefighting modules, aerial refuelling equipment, aeromedical evacuation modules, Search and Rescue equipment, a Forward Arming and Refuelling Point kit, a GPS repeater for special operations forces and two additional internal fuel tanks, each holding four tonnes of fuel. It also includes equipment for refuelling aircraft and vehicles on the ground, passenger seating, medical support systems and maintenance-planning tools.

The procurement therefore creates transport, tanker, evacuation, firefighting, rescue and ground-fuel distribution capabilities through one aircraft type, but a fleet of only two aircraft will not be able to sustain all of those roles simultaneously during their operations. The new aircraft fills the payload and volume gap between the Czech Air Force's six Airbus C-295M/MW transports, four Let L-410 aircraft and the much larger aircraft accessed through NATO and multinational arrangements. The C-295 carries roughly 9 tonnes, while the KCV-390 carries up to 26 tonnes, an increase of 17 tonnes and 189%. The KCV-390 cargo compartment has a volume of 170 m³ including the rear ramp and can accommodate seven standard military pallets, 80 passengers, 64 fully equipped paratroopers or 74 stretcher patients. A medical configuration can also carry six intensive-care units.

Its internal dimensions and floor strength allow it to carry a Pandur II armored vehicle or an UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, loads that cannot be transported inside the C-295 or L-410. This changes Czech deployment planning because personnel, vehicles, ammunition, engineering equipment and medical teams can be moved together instead of being split between several smaller sorties or assigned to chartered aircraft. The KCV-390 does not replace Czech access to SALIS or the NATO Multinational MRTT Fleet, because those arrangements remain necessary for very heavy, very large or sustained strategic movements. It instead gives Prague direct control over missions that exceed the C-295's capacity but do not require an An-124, C-17 or A330 MRTT. 

The C-390 is powered by two IAE V2500 turbofan engines and has a maximum cruise speed of 470 knots, equal to 870 km/h, compared with speeds near 260 to 300 knots for many tactical turboprop transports. On a 3,000 km route, a 470-knot cruise profile reduces the en-route portion of the mission by more than one hour compared with a 300-knot aircraft, before accounting for climb, descent, routing and fuel stops. The aircraft has a service ceiling of 36,000 feet and a maximum payload of 26 tonnes, while 23 tonnes is the principal payload figure used for range planning. With 23 tonnes aboard, range reaches 2,556 km. With 14 tonnes, range increases to 5,000 km. Maximum range reaches roughly 6,000 km in the standard long-range configuration and 8,000 km with the two auxiliary tanks acquired by the Czech Republic. The additional tanks therefore add 2,000 km of nominal range and eight tonnes of fuel capacity.

The aircraft can also receive fuel in flight, allowing range, loiter time or diversion margins to be extended when allied tanker support is available. Reinforced landing gear, high-mounted engines and structural features permit operations from semi-prepared and unpaved runways, allowing cargo to be delivered closer to deployed units or disaster areas than would be possible with transports restricted to fully prepared civilian airports. The mission systems introduce capabilities that were not previously available in the Czech national inventory. The MAFFS II module carries 12,000 litres of water, four times the 3,000-litre capacity of the Czech military's largest Mi-17 helicopter bucket. One KCV-390 sortie can therefore release the equivalent water load of four Mi-17 bucket lifts, although actual firefighting output will depend on refill distance, runway availability, weather, terrain and airspace coordination.

The hose-and-drogue refuelling kit allows the aircraft to transfer fuel to compatible fighters and helicopters, including the Gripen, and the aircraft can itself receive fuel in flight. The FARP kit allows fuel to be distributed on the ground to helicopters, vehicles or forward operating locations, supporting dispersed operations without permanent fuel infrastructure. For medical evacuation, the aircraft can carry 74 stretcher patients or six intensive-care units, giving it a larger patient capacity than the existing Czech transport fleet. The Search and Rescue module and GPS repeater support personnel recovery and special operations, while the self-protection suite includes warning systems, countermeasures and defensive aids intended for operations where missile threats cannot be excluded.

The modular configuration allows crews to change the aircraft between cargo, passenger, tanker, medical, firefighting and rescue roles, without structural conversion, during concurrent emergencies. The existing industrial agreement has a value exceeding $82.3 million and includes several Czech companies. Aero Vodochody now manufactures wing leading edges and rear fuselage sections for every C-390 produced. LOM Praha focuses on life-cycle support and sustainment, which can include scheduled maintenance, repair, logistics and technical support over the fleet's service life. Czech universities are also involved in work related to autonomous systems and autonomous aviation. The European operator base, which includes Portugal, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and the Czech Republic, also creates the basis for common spare parts stocks, shared technical training, regional maintenance and coordinated fleet support.

Embraer's June 25, 2026 agreement with Poland's WZL- 2 covers future cooperation in maintenance, aircraft completion, conversion, painting and systems integration. If these arrangements develop into common European support centres, operators could reduce ferry flights to Brazil, shorten depot-maintenance periods and pool high-value components. The KCV-390 is entering service during a wider Czech Air Force modernization cycle that includes the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopter fleets, EL/M-2084 MADR radars, Spyder short-range air defense systems and the planned acquisition of F-35A fighters. The C-390 programme differs from the C-295 acquisition because it does not replace an aircraft of similar size already in Czech service.

It fills the gap between light tactical airlift and multinational strategic transport, while also creating national tanker and fixed-wing firefighting roles. The initial two-aircraft fleet is sufficient for conversion training, force generation and selected operations, but it provides limited redundancy. If one aircraft enters scheduled maintenance, modification or repair, the remaining aircraft must cover training, transport, tanker readiness, medical evacuation and contingency response. A sustainable force able to keep one aircraft deployed, one in training or reserve and one in maintenance would require at least three aircraft, while continuous availability across several mission sets would likely require more.

Czech planning has already identified additional aircraft as necessary to create an operationally resilient fleet. Combined with SALIS and the NATO Multinational MRTT Fleet, the KCV-390 gives the Czech Republic a layered structure consisting of C-295 and L-410 aircraft for lighter missions, national KCV-390s for medium airlift and tanker tasks, and multinational aircraft for heavy strategic transport. The main change is therefore not only greater cargo capacity, but the ability to choose between national, allied and commercial lift according to payload, urgency, threat level, runway conditions and political control.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.

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