Embraer To Show Off Its Military C-390 Transport Plane In South Africa

Embraer will head to South Africa later this week, where the Brazilian manufacturer will showcase its C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft to the South African Air Force (SAAF). The demonstration is set to take place on November 24th at the SAAF’s busiest airbase at Waterkloof, on the outskirts of Pretoria. Among those present at the event will be the country’s Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Thandi Modise, and the Chief of the South African National Defence Force, General Rudzani Maphwanya.

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Representatives from the SAAF visited Embraer in Brazil in April 2023 to begin discussions about the C-390, and Friday’s demonstration marks the next step in the process, with Embraer hoping that it will be able to secure a deal with the African nation. If it does, the C-390 will join the SAAF’s existing fleet of more than 200 military aircraft. The manufacturer itself is no stranger to showcasing its aircraft – the C-390 was one of the aircraft on display at the Paris Air Show earlier this year.

Two current operators, with more to come

The C-390 entered into service back in September 2019 with the Brazilian Air Force. The country ordered a total of 19 aircraft, and went on to deploy one of them to Europe in early 2022 to repatriate Brazilian nationals at the start of the war in Ukraine. The Brazilian Air Force recently celebrated having accumulated 10,000 flight hours across its growing fleet of C-390s.

The Portuguese Air Force took delivery of its first C-390 in October 2022. Earlier this year, the Austrian Air Force ordered four C-390s, at a total cost of $500 million, to replace its three aging Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. At the time, Austria’s Defense Minister, Klaudia Tanner, heralded the aircraft as “the only one in the 20-ton class that meets all our requirements.”

Other countries awaiting delivery of the C-390 include Czechia (two), the Netherlands (five), and Hungary (two). South Korea, Colombia, and India are also understood to be considering placing a future order.

An efficient and versatile aircraft

The C-390 is similar in size to the C-130, but has a slightly larger cargo hold, capable of carrying up to 28 tons. The aircraft also has two engines, unlike the C-130’s four, meaning lower fuel consumption and maintenance costs.

According to Embraer, the C-390 has a maximum range of 3,370 NM, although when carrying a maximum payload, this is reduced to 1,240 NM. The C-390 can fly higher and at lower speeds than other comparatively-sized military transport aircraft, and can operate on unpaved runways.

The C-390 is also capable of air-to-air refueling, aerial fire-fighting, search and rescue, and the transportation of humanitarian aid, making it ideal for use across the African continent. If it does place an order following Friday’s demonstration, South Africa is unlikely to be the only African nation to put the C-390 to use – both Egypt and Rwanda have previously expressed an interest in the aircraft.

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What do you make of the Embraer C-390? Which other countries do you think will operate the military transport aircraft? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

Sources: DefenceWeb, Reuters