The UAE is set to acquire 10 C-390 Millennium aircraft from Embraer, marking the company’s largest single-country international order and the first C-390 deal in the Middle East.
The deal, signed between the UAE’s Tawazun Council for Defense Enablement and the Brazilian defense company officials in Abu Dhabi, covers a 10-plane fleet with up to 10 options in the future.
It also includes comprehensive maintenance, repair, and overhaul services and after-sales support services, which Embraer will develop and deliver in partnership with a local defense technology firm, Generation 5 Holding.
“Embraer’s selection of Generation 5 Holding as its exclusive partner in the UAE strengthens our joint efforts to accelerate knowledge transfer and expand advanced technical capabilities, ensuring that the C-390 Millennium can be supported and sustained locally to the highest international standards,” said Dr. Khalifa Murad Alblooshi, Generation 5 Holding Managing Director.
C-390 Millenium
According to Dr. Nasser Humaid Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of Tawazun Council for Defense Enablement, the C-390’s selection “follows a comprehensive technical and operational evaluation … while supporting effective integration with existing systems and advancing the UAE’s multi-mission airlift capabilities over the long term.”
The Emirati Air Force and Air Defense will use the multi-mission transport aircraft to conduct a variety of missions, including cargo and troop transport, airdrop operations, humanitarian assistance, and medical evacuation.
The C-390 has a 26-metric-ton (57,320 pounds) payload capacity, flies a top speed of 470 knots (870 kilometers/540 miles per hour), and can take off from paved and unpaved surfaces.
It is operated by and being built for several countries, including Hungary, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden.
