The Portuguese Air Force (FAP) has launched operations of its first Embraer KC-390 Millennium medium-lift military transport aircraft.
The KC-390 variant of the multimission tactical transport aircraft can transport troops and cargo, conduct search-and-rescue missions, and perform medical evacuations. It also offers air-to-air refueling capabilities for fighter jets as well as other KC-390s using underwing pods. The aircraft includes standard NATO equipment—the result of extensive flight tests conducted in Portugal, according to Embraer.
The aircraft will achieve initial operational capability in March, which is also when a second aircraft is expected to be delivered, according to Janes.
The delivery marks the first time the aircraft will operate outside of Brazil, according to Embraer.
“The entry into service of this aircraft is significant for the Portuguese Air Force and Portugal, as it completes the development and production of a multivalue aircraft capable of the most demanding operational scenarios. The requirements set by the Portuguese Air Force have taken this aircraft to an even higher technological and capability level,” FAP Brigadier General João Nogueira, president of the KC-390 program supervision and monitoring mission, said in a statement.
The aircraft entered into service earlier this week at Beja Air Base, Portugal, as the first of five KC-390 aircraft ordered by the FAP.
“This is a wonderful time for us, as we witness the first KC-390 Millennium enter into service outside Brazil,” said Walter Pinto Junior, chief operating officer of Embraer defense and security. “The Portuguese Air Force is Embraer’s strategic partner, having supported us since the beginning of the KC-390 Millennium’s internationalization.”
According to Embraer, it has orders for the aircraft platform from Brazil and Hungary, and it has also been selected for potential future orders by the Netherlands, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
