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| South Korean Company Will Supply C-390 Millennium Aircraft Components |
Seoul - Embraer and a number of South Korean companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on October 27 to procure a number of components for the C-390 Millennium multirole transport aircraft. The companies from Korea include ASTG (Aerospace Technology of Global), EMK (EM Korea Co.), and Kencoa Aerospace. The signing of this MoU is to strengthen the supply of spare parts from South Korea.
As is known, the C-390 Millennium is a competitor to the Large Transport Aircraft (LTA) II program run by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), South Korea. The supply of South Korean manufactured parts will contribute to the offset requirements of the LTA II Program.
The signing of the MoU will create a long-term business relationship between the parties involved. Local industry capabilities are becoming part of future developments in existing Embraer platforms such as the C-390 Millennium as well as new aircraft, vehicles and systems.
The tanker variant of the C-390 Millennium, the KC-390 Millennium, is a new generation of multi-mission military transport that provides unparalleled mobility and cargo capacity. The aircraft features rapid reconfiguration capabilities, high availability, enhanced comfort, as well as optimal management of reduced operational costs throughout its life cycle, all on a single platform, the company said.
Since its first delivery to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), the KC-390 Millennium has proven its capabilities, reliability and performance. The KC-390 FAB fleet currently consists of five units. The aircraft has exceeded 7,000 flight hours in operation, with a mission completion rate of 99%, demonstrating the excellent availability and productivity in its category.
In June 2022, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced the selection of the C-390 Millennium to replace its fleet of C-130 Hercules. The Portuguese Armed Forces and the Hungarian Defense Forces have already placed an order for these and will begin operations with the KC-390 in 2023 and 2024 respectively. The three European nations' fleets will be capable of aerial refueling and fully NATO compatible.