Brazilian defense contractor Embraer has begun production of the first C-390 Millennium transport aircraft for the Royal Netherlands Air Force at its facility in Gavião Peixoto, north of São Paulo. Representatives from the military and the country’s defense materiel agency attended the launch ceremony, signing a section of the aircraft’s fuselage to mark the milestone. Dutch aerospace firms in Woensdrecht will handle part of the final outfitting process, ensuring local industry involvement in the project. Upon commissioning, the aircraft and four additional airframes will replace the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s fleet of C – 130 Hercules transport planes, operational since the 1950s. Deliveries of the C-390s are scheduled between 2027 and 2029, with production of each platform taking roughly two years from assembly to system installation.
Unified Fleet
Embraer’s progress in the C – 390 program is part of a trilateral initiative led by the Netherlands with Austria and Sweden to coordinate procurement and standardization of defense capabilities. Under this cooperation, the three nations are acquiring 13 C-390 aircraft, eight of which will be distributed to Austria and Sweden, with an option for up to seven additional units shared among members. The joint acquisition aims to cut costs through shared training, sustainment, and logistics, with all aircraft built in a unified configuration to simplify operations and enable personnel exchanges among participating air forces. The Netherlands and Austria finalized the agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow in England in July 2024, with Sweden joining the program in October that year.
Embraer’s C – 390 Millennium
The 35 – meter (115 – foot) C-390 Millennium can carry up to 26,000 kilograms (57,320 pounds) of cargo or up to 80 personnel and has a fuel capacity of 35,000 kilograms (77,162 pounds) of fuel. It is equipped with two IAE V2500-E5 engines and can be armed with an electronic warfare suite, self-protection, and countermeasures against airborne missiles. The plane has a range of 4,570 nautical miles (8,464 kilometers / 5,259 miles), a speed of more than 500 knots (926 kilometers/575 miles per hour), and an operational altitude of 11,000 meters (36,089 feet).
- The Defense Post