KC-390 Millennium: Brazilian Embraer positions NATO's new favourite for India's tactical airlift

New Delhi: As India intensifies its hunt for up to 80 military transport aircraft, Brazilian aerospace giant Embraer on Sunday pitched its KC-390 Millennium as the most versatile option, leveraging a wave of NATO acquisitions of the plane to position it as the new "global benchmark" for tactical airlift.

In an exclusive interview, Embraer's President and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto, describing the KC-390 as the "best" multi-mission workhorse, said if awarded the Indian contract, the company plans to turn India into its primary production hub for aircraft to support the Asia-Pacific market.

Neto also said that Embraer is eyeing to set up an exclusive regional MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) hub for KC-390 operators in India while looking at a long-term symbiotic relationship with the country in both defence and civilian aerospace sectors.

The top executive, highlighting the acquisition of the KC-390 by several high-profile NATO member nations, including Sweden, the Netherlands and Portugal, projected the plane as a strategic counter to the legacy dominance of Lockheed Martin's C-130J.

"By choosing our aircraft, the Indian Air Force will have an alignment with a rapidly expanding, interoperable alliance of modern air forces. The KC-390 Millennium is a new generation multi-mission transport and aerial refuelling aircraft.

"Our aircraft has been chosen by nine European countries. It's NATO's best choice. We believe that the KC-390 is very well positioned to address the Indian Air Force's requirement," Neto said.

The Embraer President and CEO was in New Delhi as part of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's delegation.

"We really believe that we are very well positioned for this contract, and our aircraft would be the best solution for India; not only for the Indian market, but maybe in the future, for the countries in the Asia Pacific region," he said.

In 2022, the Indian Air Force issued a Request for Information (RFI) to purchase medium transport aircraft (MTA) to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet-era AN-32 and IL-76 planes. The IAF plans to procure around 80 military transport aircraft and the multi-billion dollar procurement is likely to be cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council in the next couple of months.

Besides KC-390 Millennium, the other top contenders for the deal are Airbus Defence and Space's A-400M plane and Lockheed Martin's C-130 J Super Hercules. The IAF already operates 12 C-130 J Super Hercules.

In February 2024, Embraer announced a partnership with Mahindra to bid for the MTA programme.

Neto said the KC-390 is the most technologically advanced and versatile option for the IAF, citing its load-carrying capability, diverse mission roles, jet-powered feature (as against the rival platforms), and its latest digital avionics as well as low life-cycle costs.

Unlike the turboprop C-130 J Super Hercules, the KC-390 is jet-powered and offers a 26-ton payload, compared to the 20-ton capability of C-130Js. The aircraft has a cruise speed of 470 knots and can fly faster while operating from unpaved or short runways.

"The aircraft is more than 50 per cent American equipment," Neto said, describing the plane as the "true" 21st-century airlifter that offers significant tactical heft.

Embraer has been emphasising that the KC-390 would provide India with a "stronger heft" in tactical airlift, bridging the gap between heavy lifters and smaller transport planes.

"The aircraft is quite prepared to operate from short and even unpaved runways. Compared to C-130Js, KC-390 is 25-30 per cent faster and its operational cost will be less because it is a jet-powered aircraft as against the turboprop(C-130Js)," Neto said.

"It carries more loads, it is faster, it can go further. You can have less aircraft to do the same missions," he said.

Neto also noted that Embraer will try its best to ensure maximum indigenous content into the aircraft.

The Embraer President and CEO, delving into the significant upswing in India-Brazil ties, said it is the right time to go for the futuristic collaboration.

"We believe a project like the KC390 fits better to long-term vision (for India-Brazil ties). It is a new product, and it is a choice between new and the other ones that were launched many years ago," he said.

"It fits very well. We can expand our production capacity, take advantage of existing demand in India and use this additional capacity to serve other markets in the region. The production line in India will take care of the demand in Asia Pacific," he said.

Embraer is also looking at the civilian aviation sector in India.

The Brazilian aerospace giant and Adani Defence and Aerospace exchanged an enhanced Memorandum of Understanding on Saturday to establish a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the E175 regional jet for India's Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA) programme.

This advancement from the initial MoU signed in January 2026 represents a significant step forward and forms part of a broader roadmap to develop an integrated RTA ecosystem in India, the two companies said.

The industrial partnership will aim to establish an ecosystem for the E175.

Both companies are already working together to progress all aspects of the MoU, including opportunities in aircraft manufacturing, supply chain, aftermarket services and pilot training, and securing orders to support the proposed FAL, they said.