Embraer C-390 takes 7th win in South Korea

Depiction of a Republic of Korea Air Force Embraer C-390 | Image: Embraer Defense & Security

The Brazilian aerospace company Embraer has landed its latest victory in quick succession this year, with the selection of its C-390 airlifter in South Korea.

The South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on Monday that the Embraer C-390 Millennium had been selected for the country’s Large Transport Aircraft (LTA) II public tender.

A statement issued by DAPA on Monday said, “The ‘Large Transport Aircraft II Project’ is a project to secure additional large transport aircraft operated by the air force through overseas purchases to meet the peacetime shortage. As a result of the model decision evaluation, the Defense Security Committee deliberated and decided on a model decision to determine Embraer’s C-390 as the second large transport aircraft project model.”

The estimated project period for the acquisition is 2022 to 2026 and the total project cost is estimated to be KRW 710 billion (USD 540 million), according to the statement.

Embraer Defense and Security said in a statement on Monday, “Under the signed contract, Embraer will provide an undisclosed number of C-390 Millennium aircraft specially configured to meet ROKAF’s requirements, as well as services & support including training, ground support equipment and spare parts. The value of the contract will be included in Embraer’s backlog in the fourth quarter of 2023.”

With its first win in Asia and selection by a seventh customer country, the Embraer C-390 ends 2023 with an impressive list of milestones. It was recently selected by Austria and the Czech Republic, following the Netherlands and Hungary, entered service in Portugal, besides completing over 10,000 flight hours, beginning with home team and launch customer, Brazil, in 2019. The aircraft also reached Full Operational Capability, earlier this year.

South Korea has so far operated the U.S. Lockheed Martin C-130 aircraft for airlift missions. The C-130 Hercules and the Airbus A400M, both turboprop aircraft, were also competing in the contest against turbofan-engined C-390. The selection of the Brazilian aircraft in South Korea becomes all the more impressive given the country’s historical proximity and close military ties to the United States.

Embraer said in its statement that it will also ‘provide a comprehensive consortium and offset package including a significant amount of C-390 Millennium parts to be locally manufactured by Korean partner companies and the development of a local Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) provider.’

President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, Bosco da Costa Jr also welcomed ‘the Republic of Korea Air Force to the growing number of air forces operating the C-390 Millennium’ in the statement.

The Embraer C-390 is also competing in India with the Airbus A400M and the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, in a similar contest for the Indian Air Force requirement for Medium Transport Aircraft. Again, like South Korea, the C-130J is already in service in the Indian Air Force.

EXTRA: Here’s your chance to check out the capabilities of the Embraer C-390 airlifter, with Chief Commercial Officer of Embraer Defense and Security, Frederico Lemos, guiding a tour of the aircraft at the Dubai Airshow 2023.