The Portuguese Air Force (FAP) is the first export customer for the Brazilian tactical freighter Embraer KC-390 Millennium. The first of five planes purchased in 2019 arrived in the country last week and three days after official delivery the aircraft has already completed its first operational mission, ing NATO activities.
The jet registration number 26901 left Embraer headquarters in Gavião Peixoto on 18/10, landing in its new home, the Beja Air Base, the following day. Last Sunday (22) the Portuguese KC-390 made its first operational flight with FAP and NATO.
Operating with the 506 Rhinoceros Squadron, the KC-390 transported military personnel and cargo to the Canary Islands, Spain, in of the Ocean Sky 2023 multinational exercise. In addition to the of the KC-390, Portugal also participates with the F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters.
.@fap_pt's 🇵🇹 new KC-390 transport aircraft has entered service, conducting it's first force projection in Spanish-led exercise Ocean Sky 23
The KC-390 has intercontinental reach, capable of executing strategic and tactical, civil and military operations without limitations pic.twitter.com/Zv7IbDuxSm
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) October 25, 2023
“This comprehensive range of capabilities allows the Portuguese Air Force to meet the necessary requirements for participation in military operations under the aegis of alliances of which Portugal is part, for example, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)”, said Major General Sérgio Roberto Leite da Costa Pereir, Chief of Staff of the FAP Chief of Staff.
KC-390 x C-130
The Millennium was developed by Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force to replace the C-130 Hércules. As noted by the NATO Air Command – which celebrated the first operational flight of the new FAP vector – the biggest difference between the two planes is in the engines, which in the case of the Brazilian freighter are two turbofans. This makes the KC-390 faster and allows it to carry heavier payloads.
Additionally, the KC-390 offers in-flight refueling as a standard feature, complementing existing tanker fleets. FAP should receive the remaining planes by 2027.
The largest military aircraft designed and manufactured in Latin America, the C-390 has conquered the market. In addition to FAB and FAP, the air forces of Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria and, more recently, Czech republic, also selected the model. Countries like United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Greece, Sweden and India is also interested in Embraer's military freighter.
