KC-390 aircraft order expanded by Portugal with sixth unit and purchase options
NewsSeptember 18, 2025
LISBON, Portugal. The Portuguese government signed an amendment with Embraer for the acquisition of a sixth KC-390 Millennium aircraft and ten additional purchase options, the company announced in a statement.
The Portuguese Air Force, which began operating the aircraft in 2023, is the first operator to expand its fleet, the statement reads. The amendment also includes options that could be exercised by other partner nations in the future, according to the company.
Portugal’s acquisition is part of a broader modernization effort to expand tactical and logistical airlift capabilities, the company says. The KC-390 is designed to carry up to 26 tons of payload and perform missions such as troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting, and humanitarian operations. It can also be configured for air-to-air refueling, either as a tanker or as a receiver, the statement adds.
The KC-390 entered service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019, followed by the Portuguese Air Force in 2023 and the Hungarian Air Force in 2024. To date, 11 air forces worldwide have selected the aircraft, including eight in Europe and seven NATO members, the company says.
