C-390 Millennium medium transport aircraft | Photo: Embraer
Brazilian defence and aerospace company Embraer is displaying its C-390 Millennium military multi-mission tactical air transport aircraft at Aero India 2023.
A company statement quoted Bosco da Costa Junior, President & CEO, Embraer Defense & Security as saying, “We are proud to bring Embraer’s iconic C-390 Millennium to India for our guests to experience the true capabilities of this 21st-century military multi-mission aircraft. India is a key market for Embraer, and we are keen to establish partnerships in the country that can further boost India’s defence industries and capabilities. We look forward to engaging with India’s defence & aerospace ecosystem at this event.”
The C-390 entered service with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) in 2019. Its fleet of five aircraft designated KC-390 are all refuelling variants and have topped 7,500 flight hours, according to Embraer, with a ‘mission completion rate of 99 percent. The C-390 has been ordered by Portugal and Hungary, and has also been selected by the Netherlands.
‘The aircraft can carry more cargo (26 tons) compared to other medium-sized military cargo aircraft and flies faster (470kts) and further on a standard crew duty day,’ says Embraer.
The mission profiles of the C-390 include ‘Air-to-Air (in-flight) Refuelling (AAR) for fixed & rotary wing aircraft, airborne operations, troop & cargo transportation, humanitarian missions, medical evacuation, firefighting, and search & rescue, with simple and rapid reconfiguration between the different configurations using conversion kits and state-of-the-art built-in reconfigurable cargo floor systems’. Embraer says, ‘The aircraft was designed to operate on semi-prepared or damaged runways as well as in hostile environments, ranging from hot & humid to cold, dry conditions.’
A fleet of three Embraer ERJ 145 regional jets is in service in the Indian Air Force (IAF) as the platform for the Netra AEW&C aircraft, which is a collaboration between Embraer and nd India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The IAF and the Border Security Force (BSF) also operate Embraer’s Legacy 600 jets VIP transportation.
Also featured at the Embraer exhibition stand are the A-29 Super Tucano, the P600 AEW&C and radars & border surveillance solutions.
