The UAE is procuring ten C-390 Millennium transport plane, with an possibility for ten extra, making the UAE the biggest export buyer for the plane and the primary within the Center East.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signed a cope with Embraer for ten C-390 Millennium transport plane, with an possibility to purchase ten extra, making the UAE the biggest export buyer for the plane. The deal was signed on Might 4th 2026, on the Tawazun Council for Protection Enablement stand on the ‘Make It In The Emirates’ exposition in Abu Dhabi, within the presence of UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Tawazun Council for Protection Enablement is a UAE authorities entity that sits outdoors of the Ministry of Defence, with the aim of regulating the nation’s defence trade. The ‘Make It In The Emirates’ exposition represents the UAE’s efforts to strengthen industrial resilience and reinforce its place as a regional and world hub for superior manufacturing. By bringing collectively defence innovators, authorities ministers, youth and the media, it’s hoped that the UAE can enhance its personal industrial self reliance.
To this finish, the contract for the C-390 was awarded to Embraer below the situation that it collaborate with the UAE’s personal defence trade on the plane’s upkeep, restore and overhaul capabilities. A UAE firm could be assigned to fulfil these capabilities and any after gross sales help that the plane would require all through its service life. This recognises that while the UAE at present lacks the flexibility to supply its personal heavy raise plane, it’s nonetheless working to help its personal defence trade.
شهدنا توقيع أكبر تعاقد دولي لطائرات C-390 ميلينيوم، مع شراء 10 طائرات وخيارات إضافية، في خطوة تعزز جاهزية قواتنا الجوية بقدرات تشغيلية متقدمة ومتعددة المهام. كما تمثل أول دخول للطائرة إلى الشرق الأوسط، بما يعكس ثقة عالمية بكفاءة منظومتنا الدفاعية، ويدعم توطين الصناعات العسكرية… pic.twitter.com/cMZ4PtiPr5
— منصور بن زايد (@HHmansour) Might 4, 2026
In a translated publish on X, Sheikh Mansour acknowledged: “We now have witnessed the signing of the biggest worldwide contract for C-390 Millennium plane, involving the acquisition of 10 plane with extra choices, in a step that enhances the readiness of our air forces with superior, multi-mission operational capabilities.”
He additional added that: “This additionally marks the plane’s first entry into the Center East, reflecting world confidence within the effectivity of our protection system, whereas supporting the localization of army industries and strengthening the state’s industrial integration.”
The UAE’s number of the C-390 represents the biggest single export order for the plane, with most clients adopting between three and 4 plane to satisfy their nationwide necessities. If the choice for additional 10 plane is exercised, that might make the UAE the biggest operator of the C-390, with Brazil having to date solely ordered 19 plane because the lead buyer for the platform.
The UAE’s order additionally makes this the primary export buyer for the Millennium within the Center East, with the vast majority of nations adopting the plane coming from Europe. Most of those had necessities to switch their aged present C-130 fleets.
🇧🇷🇦🇪 BIG DEFENSE MOVE: UAE locks in Brazil’s C-390 airlifters
The United Arab Emirates has signed a significant cope with Embraer for 10 C-390 Millennium plane, with choices for 10 extra, marking the jet’s first entry into the Center East.
🔹Payload: 26 tons🔹 Velocity: ~870 km/h🔹… pic.twitter.com/MGaHNNVhGg
— Defence Index (@Defence_Index) Might 5, 2026
The plane had been subjected to an intensive analysis course of previous to choice, to make sure that the C-390 could be appropriate to the UAE’s operational setting, with the UAE’s Air Power choosing the plane as the very best suited to satisfy its important mission necessities whereas optimizing operational effectivity and lifecycle prices. The plane was chosen for its means to carry out a variety of missions, together with cargo and troop transport, airdrop operations, humanitarian help, medical evacuation, operations from unpaved runways, and seamless interoperability with nationwide belongings in addition to allied and accomplice forces.
The deal itself was signed by H.E. Dr. Nasser Humaid Al Nuaimi, the Secretary Basic of the Tawazun Council and Mr. Bosco da Costa Jr., President & CEO of Embraer, within the presence of Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Embraer.
Dr. Nasser stated: “This contract represents a big operational enhancement to the UAE’s army airlift functionality, strengthening drive readiness and operational effectivity, and enabling the Armed Forces to successfully execute a variety of missions throughout numerous operational environments.”
He later added: “The number of the C-390 Millennium follows a complete technical and operational analysis, making certain excessive ranges of efficiency and reliability, whereas supporting efficient integration with present methods and advancing the UAE’s multi-mission airlift capabilities over the long run.”
Bosco da Costa then defined: “This game-changing, mission-proven plane will present the UAE Air Power and Air Protection with the flexibility and efficiency wanted to hold out a variety of missions anytime, wherever, for many years to come back. Embraer is absolutely dedicated to delivering the C-390 functionality and offering world-class help to UAE, with the target of constructing a long-term, mutually helpful partnership.”
C-390 Millennium
The Embraer C-390 Millennium is an indigenously developed twin jet engine cargo transport developed to switch the C-130 Hercules in Brazilian Air Power service. At present, the Millennium is accessible in two variants, the C-390 transport plane and the KC-390 tanker-transport, which is able to aerial refuelling different plane utilizing two Cobham-produced wing aerial refueling pods (WARPs). That is supposed to help the FAB’s Gripen E fighter jets that utilise the probe and drogue refueling system, rising the vary at which they’ll function world wide.
The inner gasoline tanks for the KC-390 are roll-on/roll-off, permitting fast reconfiguration primarily based on mission wants on the time. The plane can take three palletized tanks, with every able to carrying 4,000 kg of gasoline, considerably rising its gasoline switch capabilities. Importantly, the plane may also be refueled in flight, as it may be outfitted with a detachable refueling probe put in on the upper-forward fuselage.
Northrop Grumman additionally lately introduced a collaboration with Embraer to additional develop the KC-390 Millenium tanker-transport plane into having a refueling growth outfitted alongside the 2 refueling pods. Extra may be examine this on The Aviationist right here.
📍Beja, #Portugal (🇵🇹)
Final week, #Brazil‘s (🇧🇷) @embraer delivered the 4th KC/C-390 Millennium to the @fap_pt.
That is the first unit delivered with air-to-air refueling pods, giving Portugal revolutionary new capabilities.
📸: @embraer pic.twitter.com/WscHjhrIyx
— SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) February 1, 2026
Moreover, Embraer is actively finding out the difference of the Millennium for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, with a particular concentrate on maritime patrol (MPA). That is supposed to supply an plane that may change Brazil’s at present ageing P-3 Orion MPA, which had been purchased second hand from the USA within the early 2000s.
The Millennium has comparable airfield efficiency traits to these of the C-130, and it’s marketed to be a extra environment friendly alternative with a sooner prime velocity, longer vary and a heavier cargo capability, for instance permitting for the deployment of a Boxer armoured automobile from its 169 m³ inside cargo bay. Even the title of the plane, the C-390, stands out as a transparent branding resolution to spotlight the extra fashionable design of the plane, being a C-130 occasions three.
Thus far this has paid off, with the Millennium being chosen to switch the C-130 for a lot of nations world wide together with Sweden and the Netherlands. The plane has grow to be an export success in NATO, with the above two nations becoming a member of the ranks of Portugal, Hungary, Czechia and Slovakia in working the platform.
Lithuania had deliberate to order various Millennium plane, however these plans had been postponed in January, with the deliberate funds getting used to improve its present C-27J transport plane as an alternative. Outdoors of NATO, the Millennium has been chosen by Brazil because the lead buyer for the jet, while Austria, the Republic of Korea, Uzbekistan and now the UAE have since taken up the platform.
