Brazilian aerospace company Embraer has introduced the KC-390 Millennium multimission military transport aircraft to Poland’s state defense enterprise Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr 2 SA (WZL‑2) in Bydgoszcz.
The event initiates a broader partnership following a memorandum of understanding signed by the corporations in December 2025 to enhance cooperation in industrial and technological capabilities.
Among the highlights of that agreement is a comprehensive maintenance, repair, and overhaul for the KC-390 in the NATO country, expanding support for tactical airlift and refueling in Europe to sustain operational readiness of the platform.
‘Important Chapter’
Douglas Lobo, vice president at Embraer Services & Support, framed the Bydgoszcz event as part of a “shared vision for innovation and collaboration” that boosts Warsaw’s domestic capacity.
“By working closely with the Polish defense industry, we aim to create a robust cooperation, fostering long-term value for the country while contributing to the European defense community,” he said.
WZL-2 CEO Jakub Gazda echoed that sentiment, adding that the teaming allows sustained support for an aircraft offering combined “innovative technical solutions, reliability, and enormous operational potential.”
“Cooperation with Embraer opens up new opportunities for us, giving us what we want to experience — it allows us to exchange knowledge and develop our competencies,” Gazda stated.
“I believe that our cooperation will be an important chapter in the history of aviation innovation.”
Increasing Users
Currently, the international KC-390 fleet has an operational mission capability rate of 93 percent and mission completion rates over 99 percent.
It is now in service with the militaries of Brazil, Portugal, and Hungary, with countries including the Netherlands, Austria, South Korea, Sweden, and Morocco slated to field the system in the coming years.
The KC-390 Millennium
Embraer’s KC-390 has a length of 35 meters (115 feet), a payload capacity of 26,000 kilograms (57,320 pounds) of cargo or about 80 people, and can carry up to 35,000 kilograms (77,162 pounds) of fuel.
Its multimission configuration allows operators to deploy the plane for logistics, air-to-air replenishment, medical evacuations, humanitarian and disaster response, search and rescue, and firefighting missions.
The aircraft is equipped with twin IAE V2500-E5 turbofan engines a top speed of more than 500 knots (926 kilometers/575 miles per hour), maximum altitude up to 11,000 meters (36,089 feet), and a range of 4,570 nautical miles (8,464 kilometers/5,259 miles).
KC-390 can be fitted with an electronic warfare suite and additional countermeasures systems to protect warfighters and equipment against electromagnetic and missile threats.
