On May 4, 2026, the Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement, the Emirati body responsible for defense acquisitions and partnerships, announced that it has placed a firm order for 10 C-390 Millennium aircraft from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer for the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence. The agreement includes an option for an additional 10 aircraft, potentially bringing the total order to 20 units if exercised. The financial value has not been disclosed. Embraer has described this decision as a significant milestone for its multi-mission transport aircraft.
The announcement took place in Abu Dhabi, during the Make It In The Emirates event. The Vice President of the UAE, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, praised the significance of the agreement, stating that it is the largest international contract for the C-390 Millennium, highlighting a strengthening of operational readiness for the air forces with advanced and multi-mission capabilities. The public information states that the notification comes with options, without a specified delivery schedule at this stage.
Embraer noted that the United Arab Emirates is becoming the first country in the Middle East to contract the C-390 and that this order constitutes the most significant placed by a single country for the export of this model. According to the manufacturer, the selection followed a campaign of operational evaluations conducted in the country. The Emirati Air Force and Air Defence selected the aircraft as the platform best suited to their requirements, considering operational efficiency and lifecycle costs.
The C-390 Millennium, powered by two IAE V2500 turbofans, is announced to be capable of carrying between 20 and 25 tons of cargo over approximately 2,815 kilometers, with a maximum cruising speed of nearly 850 kilometers per hour. The aircraft covers tactical transport missions, cargo dropping, medical evacuation, and humanitarian assistance. It can, according to Embraer, conduct aerial refueling, operate from improvised runways, and ensure interoperability with allied and partner forces.
The contract comes with an industrial partnership. Embraer and the Emirati company Generation 5 Holding have signed an exclusive strategic partnership agreement to advance the C-390 program in the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, the parties announced the local development of maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities, as well as after-sales support services, in cooperation with an Emirati company. Details of the implementation modalities and the timeline for ramping up these capabilities have not been publicly disclosed.
This order aligns with the strategy outlined by the United Arab Emirates, which emphasizes self-sufficiency and the development of indigenous defense capabilities. The combination of a new fleet and local support arrangements is expected to structure maintenance and operational readiness on domestic territory. If the option is exercised, the fleet could reach 20 C-390s, thereby increasing tactical transport and rapid projection capabilities, although no timeline has yet been communicated.
Embraer has recently conducted multiple demonstration campaigns for its KC-390 Millennium. At the end of March 2026, the manufacturer reported a cold-weather campaign at the Vidsel test site in Sweden. The crew demonstrated rapid engine and system start after prolonged exposure to very low temperatures, as well as short take-offs and landings on snow- and ice-covered runways. The head of Embraer Defense and Security, Bosco da Costa Junior, emphasized the aircraft's flexibility in these conditions.
The Swedish trials included operations in reduced visibility and maneuvers on slippery surfaces. Embraer indicated it simulated the loading and autonomous distribution of heavy vehicles, including the SISU GTT all-terrain vehicle, while preserving cabin space for troops and equipment. The manufacturer clarified that the campaign aimed to demonstrate the aircraft's suitability to support the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept, oriented towards dispersed and responsive deployments from austere airfields.
Internationally, Embraer has also completed a 70-day world tour that began at the Singapore Airshow at the end of January. The campaign totaled 54 flights for approximately 140 flight hours and 47,000 nautical miles traveled, with stops in 11 countries, including Poland, Sweden, and the United States, before a stop at FIDAE in Chile. The manufacturer reported a mission success rate of 100 percent, with demonstrations conducted in environments ranging from the Arctic to tropical Asia.
According to official statements, all these demonstration and testing activities fit into the maturation of the C-390 program. For the Emirati market, Tawazun confirmed the combination of a firm order and an option, while Embraer highlighted its exclusive partnership with Generation 5 Holding and the announced establishment of local support capabilities. No financial details or delivery schedule have been published at this time by the parties.
