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Brazil Embraer Defense & Security
KC-390 Millennium
A twin-jet-engine medium tactical transport and aerial refueling aircraft developed by Embraer to replace the C-130 Hercules in Brazilian and export service. It combines jet-speed cargo delivery with rough-field capability and a large unobstructed cargo hold.
In service since 2019 · 4 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
870
km/h
2,820
km range
11,000
m ceiling
💲 ≈ $90,000,000 (public figure)
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Brazil export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Established · 4 operators
In service since 2019. Status: active · ~25 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$225M – $315M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~35 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 870 km/h Stronger than 61% of transport aircraft
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 2,820 km Bottom 3% of transport aircraft
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 11,000 m Stronger than 30% of transport aircraft
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 35.2 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 33.9 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 48,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 3
- Cargo payload
Maximum cargo the transport can carry. Higher means more lift per sortie.
- 26,000 kg Stronger than 29% of transport aircraft
- Troop capacity
Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.
- 80 Stronger than 25% of transport aircraft
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2× IAE V2500-E5 turbofan
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 139 kN
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $90,000,000
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 25 Stronger than 18% of transport aircraft
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 4 Stronger than 63% of transport aircraft
Specifications compiled from public Embraer Defense & Security and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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Airbus Defence and Space C-295 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium? +
The Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium has a maximum speed of 870 km/h.
What is the range of the Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium? +
The Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium has a maximum range of 2,820 km.
How many crew does the Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium require? +
The Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium requires a crew of 3.
What engine does the Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium use? +
The Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium is powered by the 2× IAE V2500-E5 turbofan.
How many countries operate the Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium? +
The Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium is operated by 4 countries.
How much does the Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium cost? +
The Embraer Defense & Security KC-390 Millennium has an approximate unit cost of 90,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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