KC-390 Millennium Tanker Joins Gripen E Fighter Jet In Brazil’s New Aerial Duo
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Embraer and Saab have completed the full flight test and certification campaign for in-flight refuelling between the KC-390 Millennium and F-39E Gripen of the Brazilian Air Force at Gavião Peixoto. The qualification closes a critical gap in Brazil’s new airpower architecture and creates a marketable tanker fighter package for export customers that plan to operate both platforms.
On 14 November 2025, Embraer announced that the KC-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft and the Saab Gripen E fighter had successfully completed a full flight-test campaign to certify air-to-air refueling between the two Brazilian Air Force (FAB) assets at Gavião Peixoto in São Paulo State. Conducted under the coordination of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) and involving mixed teams of engineers and test pilots from Saab, Embraer and the FAB, the campaign validates a key missing piece in Brazil’s new airpower architecture, as reported by Embraer. Beyond the purely technical achievement, the certification turns two emblematic industrial programs into a tightly integrated operational ecosystem. For Brazil and Sweden, this strengthens both national air forces and adds a new selling point in export campaigns where tanker and fighter capabilities are increasingly evaluated as a package. It also underscores Brazil’s growing status as a country able to develop, test and fully validate complex in-flight refueling systems based on domestic technology.
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The successful refuelling certification between the KC-390 Millennium and the Gripen E marks a qualitative leap in how Brazil and Sweden can present their airpower offerings to both domestic decision-makers and export customers (Picture Source: Embraer)
The KC-390 Millennium is a twin-jet tactical transport and tanker designed to replace legacy C-130-class aircraft, combining a high subsonic cruise speed with a modern cargo hold capable of carrying armoured vehicles, troops, palletised cargo, aeromedical modules and, when required, refuelling equipment mounted under the wings. In tanker configuration, the aircraft employs hose-and-drogue pods and additional fuel tanks, allowing it to support fighters, helicopters and other transports while retaining its core transport role. Opposite it, the Gripen E (known in FAB service as the F-39) is Saab’s latest-generation multirole fighter, featuring an AESA radar, an advanced electronic warfare suite and a high degree of sensor fusion and networked operations designed for dispersed basing and relatively short runways. Together, the two aircraft form a coherent force package: a locally built, networked frontline fighter able to operate from Brazilian bases or forward locations, and a national tanker/transport capable of sustaining those missions far from home airfields and over vast ocean or jungle areas.
Operationally, both programs have now moved well beyond the prototype phase. The KC-390 entered FAB service in the late 2010s and has since been employed in domestic and international airlift missions, including disaster relief, strategic transport and training for air-to-air refueling. Brazil ultimately restructured its original plan of 28 aircraft down to 19 units, extending deliveries to 2034 but keeping the type as the backbone of its future transport and tanker fleet. Portugal became the first export customer with a 2019 contract for five KC-390s plus a simulator and long-term support, valued at about 827 million euros, later adding a sixth aircraft and options for more. Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic and Sweden have since joined the list of buyers or selected the aircraft, making the KC-390 a credible competitor to established Western platforms.
For the Gripen E, Brazil and Sweden are the launch customers. Brazil’s FX-2 program, signed in 2014 and now valued at roughly 5.4 billion dollars after subsequent add-ons, covers 36 Gripen E/F aircraft, technology transfer and local assembly at Embraer’s facilities. The first operational Brazilian F-39s were inducted at Anápolis Air Base in December 2022, with deliveries to continue in phases until 2026. Sweden plans to field 60 Gripen E aircraft by around 2030, and in October 2025 the Swedish Air Force received its first jets at the F 7 Skaraborg Wing, marking a major step in the country’s airpower modernisation. The refueling test series now completed in Brazil, designated Operation Samaúma by the FAB and involving about 40 personnel, had two main objectives: to qualify the Gripen E as a receiver within the full tanker envelope of the KC-390, by day and night and at different speeds and altitudes, and to verify the aerodynamic and systems compatibility of the pairing across the aircraft’s certified flight envelopes. Both platforms’ fly-by-wire flight control systems proved central in maintaining stable contact positions, with the KC-390 generating a manageable wake and the Gripen E reacting smoothly to pilot inputs during plug and refuel.
The Gripen E–KC-390 pairing offers a flexible, cost‑effective alternative to traditional fighter–tanker combinations by uniting a jet-powered medium airlifter with a lightweight multirole fighter. The KC-390 delivers faster transit times and payloads comparable to turboprop transports, while its rapid reconfiguration enables roles from transport to medevac to aerial refuelling without requiring separate fleets. The Gripen E complements this with low operating costs, minimal ground crew needs, and the ability to operate from dispersed or semi-prepared runways, distinguishing it from heavier fighters. Together, they allow medium-sized air forces to sustain patrols over remote or maritime regions with less infrastructure, while integrating modern avionics, secure datalinks, and NATO-standard refuelling. Uniquely, both aircraft are tied into a single binational industrial partnership between Embraer and Saab, aligning operational capability with sovereign industrial control.
The strategic implications of this certification are significant for Brazil, Sweden and potential export customers. For Brasília, it consolidates a sovereign airpower chain: a Brazilian-assembled fighter and a Brazilian-designed multi-mission jet now fully interoperable in one of the most demanding flight regimes. This places Brazil among the relatively small group of nations capable of developing, testing and certifying their own in-flight refuelling systems without relying on foreign tankers. For Sweden, the success of Operation Samaúma aligns closely with its own procurement of the C-390 as a future transport and tanker solution under a joint European program led by the Netherlands, and with its ambition to export Gripen E to partners such as Thailand, Colombia and potentially Ukraine. For many mid-sized air forces, the prospect of acquiring a fighter and a tanker/transport that have been co-tested by the parent nations and optimised for each other is likely to weigh in favour of the Brazilian-Swedish package against more fragmented solutions. At the geopolitical level, the deepening industrial axis between a NATO member (Sweden) and a leading Global South power (Brazil) also diversifies the global defence market, offering an alternative to exclusively U.S. or European Union-centred systems at a time when many states seek greater strategic autonomy.
The KC‑390 and Gripen E programs already represent multi‑billion‑dollar investments, now amplified by their integration. Portugal’s €827 million contract for five KC‑390s and Sweden’s $850 million order for four highlight both the capital intensity of modern airlift fleets and confidence in the Brazilian platform, while Brazil has stretched deliveries to 19 aircraft by 2034 to balance budgets with export goals. On the fighter side, Brazil’s $5.4 billion Gripen package has grown over 13 percent with add‑ons, as new deals emerge, Thailand’s order for four jets worth 5.3 billion kronor and Ukraine’s talks for up to 150 aircraft, potentially Sweden’s largest export. Against this backdrop, certifying the KC‑390 as a Gripen‑qualified tanker boosts the value of existing contracts without requiring separate foreign tanker acquisitions, effectively maximizing sunk development costs across both programs.
The successful refuelling certification between the KC-390 Millennium and the Gripen E marks a qualitative leap in how Brazil and Sweden can present their airpower offerings to both domestic decision-makers and export customers. It demonstrates that two cornerstone platforms of their respective aerospace industries can operate as an integrated system across demanding mission profiles, validated by national and Swedish military aviation authorities under international certification standards. For the Brazilian Air Force, it confirms that its new transport/tanker and fighter fleets can sustain long-range, networked operations over the Amazon, the South Atlantic and beyond using technology in which Brazilian engineers and pilots played a central role. For Saab and Embraer, it delivers a tangible argument in future competitions: not just a modern fighter or a capable multi-mission jet, but a proven, jointly tested refuelling ecosystem. At a time when air forces are looking for flexible, affordable and interoperable solutions rather than isolated platforms, the KC-390/Gripen E pairing now stands as a coherent, certified package that is likely to shape procurement choices and industrial partnerships well into the 2030s.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
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Embraer and Saab have completed the full flight test and certification campaign for in-flight refuelling between the KC-390 Millennium and F-39E Gripen of the Brazilian Air Force at Gavião Peixoto. The qualification closes a critical gap in Brazil’s new airpower architecture and creates a marketable tanker fighter package for export customers that plan to operate both platforms.
On 14 November 2025, Embraer announced that the KC-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft and the Saab Gripen E fighter had successfully completed a full flight-test campaign to certify air-to-air refueling between the two Brazilian Air Force (FAB) assets at Gavião Peixoto in São Paulo State. Conducted under the coordination of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) and involving mixed teams of engineers and test pilots from Saab, Embraer and the FAB, the campaign validates a key missing piece in Brazil’s new airpower architecture, as reported by Embraer. Beyond the purely technical achievement, the certification turns two emblematic industrial programs into a tightly integrated operational ecosystem. For Brazil and Sweden, this strengthens both national air forces and adds a new selling point in export campaigns where tanker and fighter capabilities are increasingly evaluated as a package. It also underscores Brazil’s growing status as a country able to develop, test and fully validate complex in-flight refueling systems based on domestic technology.
The successful refuelling certification between the KC-390 Millennium and the Gripen E marks a qualitative leap in how Brazil and Sweden can present their airpower offerings to both domestic decision-makers and export customers (Picture Source: Embraer)
The KC-390 Millennium is a twin-jet tactical transport and tanker designed to replace legacy C-130-class aircraft, combining a high subsonic cruise speed with a modern cargo hold capable of carrying armoured vehicles, troops, palletised cargo, aeromedical modules and, when required, refuelling equipment mounted under the wings. In tanker configuration, the aircraft employs hose-and-drogue pods and additional fuel tanks, allowing it to support fighters, helicopters and other transports while retaining its core transport role. Opposite it, the Gripen E (known in FAB service as the F-39) is Saab’s latest-generation multirole fighter, featuring an AESA radar, an advanced electronic warfare suite and a high degree of sensor fusion and networked operations designed for dispersed basing and relatively short runways. Together, the two aircraft form a coherent force package: a locally built, networked frontline fighter able to operate from Brazilian bases or forward locations, and a national tanker/transport capable of sustaining those missions far from home airfields and over vast ocean or jungle areas.
Operationally, both programs have now moved well beyond the prototype phase. The KC-390 entered FAB service in the late 2010s and has since been employed in domestic and international airlift missions, including disaster relief, strategic transport and training for air-to-air refueling. Brazil ultimately restructured its original plan of 28 aircraft down to 19 units, extending deliveries to 2034 but keeping the type as the backbone of its future transport and tanker fleet. Portugal became the first export customer with a 2019 contract for five KC-390s plus a simulator and long-term support, valued at about 827 million euros, later adding a sixth aircraft and options for more. Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic and Sweden have since joined the list of buyers or selected the aircraft, making the KC-390 a credible competitor to established Western platforms.
For the Gripen E, Brazil and Sweden are the launch customers. Brazil’s FX-2 program, signed in 2014 and now valued at roughly 5.4 billion dollars after subsequent add-ons, covers 36 Gripen E/F aircraft, technology transfer and local assembly at Embraer’s facilities. The first operational Brazilian F-39s were inducted at Anápolis Air Base in December 2022, with deliveries to continue in phases until 2026. Sweden plans to field 60 Gripen E aircraft by around 2030, and in October 2025 the Swedish Air Force received its first jets at the F 7 Skaraborg Wing, marking a major step in the country’s airpower modernisation. The refueling test series now completed in Brazil, designated Operation Samaúma by the FAB and involving about 40 personnel, had two main objectives: to qualify the Gripen E as a receiver within the full tanker envelope of the KC-390, by day and night and at different speeds and altitudes, and to verify the aerodynamic and systems compatibility of the pairing across the aircraft’s certified flight envelopes. Both platforms’ fly-by-wire flight control systems proved central in maintaining stable contact positions, with the KC-390 generating a manageable wake and the Gripen E reacting smoothly to pilot inputs during plug and refuel.
The Gripen E–KC-390 pairing offers a flexible, cost‑effective alternative to traditional fighter–tanker combinations by uniting a jet-powered medium airlifter with a lightweight multirole fighter. The KC-390 delivers faster transit times and payloads comparable to turboprop transports, while its rapid reconfiguration enables roles from transport to medevac to aerial refuelling without requiring separate fleets. The Gripen E complements this with low operating costs, minimal ground crew needs, and the ability to operate from dispersed or semi-prepared runways, distinguishing it from heavier fighters. Together, they allow medium-sized air forces to sustain patrols over remote or maritime regions with less infrastructure, while integrating modern avionics, secure datalinks, and NATO-standard refuelling. Uniquely, both aircraft are tied into a single binational industrial partnership between Embraer and Saab, aligning operational capability with sovereign industrial control.
The strategic implications of this certification are significant for Brazil, Sweden and potential export customers. For Brasília, it consolidates a sovereign airpower chain: a Brazilian-assembled fighter and a Brazilian-designed multi-mission jet now fully interoperable in one of the most demanding flight regimes. This places Brazil among the relatively small group of nations capable of developing, testing and certifying their own in-flight refuelling systems without relying on foreign tankers. For Sweden, the success of Operation Samaúma aligns closely with its own procurement of the C-390 as a future transport and tanker solution under a joint European program led by the Netherlands, and with its ambition to export Gripen E to partners such as Thailand, Colombia and potentially Ukraine. For many mid-sized air forces, the prospect of acquiring a fighter and a tanker/transport that have been co-tested by the parent nations and optimised for each other is likely to weigh in favour of the Brazilian-Swedish package against more fragmented solutions. At the geopolitical level, the deepening industrial axis between a NATO member (Sweden) and a leading Global South power (Brazil) also diversifies the global defence market, offering an alternative to exclusively U.S. or European Union-centred systems at a time when many states seek greater strategic autonomy.
The KC‑390 and Gripen E programs already represent multi‑billion‑dollar investments, now amplified by their integration. Portugal’s €827 million contract for five KC‑390s and Sweden’s $850 million order for four highlight both the capital intensity of modern airlift fleets and confidence in the Brazilian platform, while Brazil has stretched deliveries to 19 aircraft by 2034 to balance budgets with export goals. On the fighter side, Brazil’s $5.4 billion Gripen package has grown over 13 percent with add‑ons, as new deals emerge, Thailand’s order for four jets worth 5.3 billion kronor and Ukraine’s talks for up to 150 aircraft, potentially Sweden’s largest export. Against this backdrop, certifying the KC‑390 as a Gripen‑qualified tanker boosts the value of existing contracts without requiring separate foreign tanker acquisitions, effectively maximizing sunk development costs across both programs.
The successful refuelling certification between the KC-390 Millennium and the Gripen E marks a qualitative leap in how Brazil and Sweden can present their airpower offerings to both domestic decision-makers and export customers. It demonstrates that two cornerstone platforms of their respective aerospace industries can operate as an integrated system across demanding mission profiles, validated by national and Swedish military aviation authorities under international certification standards. For the Brazilian Air Force, it confirms that its new transport/tanker and fighter fleets can sustain long-range, networked operations over the Amazon, the South Atlantic and beyond using technology in which Brazilian engineers and pilots played a central role. For Saab and Embraer, it delivers a tangible argument in future competitions: not just a modern fighter or a capable multi-mission jet, but a proven, jointly tested refuelling ecosystem. At a time when air forces are looking for flexible, affordable and interoperable solutions rather than isolated platforms, the KC-390/Gripen E pairing now stands as a coherent, certified package that is likely to shape procurement choices and industrial partnerships well into the 2030s.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
