Third KC-390 for Brazil

A third Embraer KC-390 Millennium medium-lift tactical transport has been handed over to the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force).

The aircraft – serial 2855 – arrived at Anápolis Air Base in the Brazilian state of Goiás at 1635hrs (local time, BRT) on June 27. The handover marked the first time that a KC-390 was delivered by personnel from the 1st Troop Transport Group (1st GTT).

KC-390 [Brazilian Air Force] #1
The third KC-390 was handed over to the Brazilian Air Force on June 27. A further 25 examples are expected to be delivered by 2026. Brazilian Air Force 

Commander of the Brazilian Air Force, Lt Brigadier Antonio Carlos Moretti Bermudez, said: “The receipt of the third KC-390 aircraft is a reason of great satisfaction for the Air Force Command, as it will be added to the missions for which the other two aircraft are already being used. The greatest example of this is [its] use in the logistical air transport of patients and equipment to combat and prevent COVID-19”.

Brazil received its first KC-390 – serial 2853 – on September 4, 2019, and the second was handed over on December 13. The nation has a total of 28 examples on order, with the final aircraft scheduled to be handed over to the Brazilian Air Force in 2026.

Powered by two International Aero Engines-produced V2500 turbofans, the KC-390 features modern avionics and an advanced cargo handling system. It is capable of carrying up to 26 metric tons of cargo at a maximum speed of 541mph (870km/h) and it is able to operate from austere environments, such as unpaved or damaged runways. The platform is a true multi-role tanker/transport, having the ability to perform air-to-air refuelling missions. It can also carry troops, cargo pallets, armoured vehicles and helicopters.