Portugal orders sixth KC-390, offers platform to NATO allies

Portugal has confirmed the acquisition of a sixth Embraer KC-390 Millennium military transport aircraft, opening the door to broader European adoption of the platform by including 10 new purchase options for other NATO members. 

The announcement was made at the Paris Air Show 2025 on June 16, 2025, where Portuguese officials and Embraer executives highlighted the country’s strategic role in the KC-390 program, from engineering to potential future sales. 

Portugal was the first European customer of the KC-390 and has been a core industrial partner in the program since its inception. Portuguese engineers have co-developed and designed key components of the aircraft, while local suppliers provide critical parts. The newly ordered sixth aircraft is expected to be delivered by 2029, joining five others already ordered under the 2019 contract. 

“With the sixth KC-390, the Portuguese Air Force becomes one of the largest operators of the type in Europe,” said Portugal’s Minister of Defence Nuno Melo. “But this aircraft is more than just a platform. It represents the involvement and future of our national defense industry.” 

Melo emphasized that Portugal will play a leading role in training future KC-390 crews through its dedicated training center and reiterated that the partnership had “proven its worth,” prompting Lisbon to not only activate a pending option for a sixth aircraft but also expand its role in the program. 

AeroTimeSecuring delivery slots for NATO partners

10 new options have now been added to the contract, not for Portugal’s own fleet, but to enable future acquisitions by other European or NATO partners through government-to-government agreements. Portuguese officials say discussions are already underway with several potential customers, including Slovakia, and hinted at interest beyond Europe, including the Middle East. 

General João Cartaxo Alves of the Portuguese Air Force noted that the KC-390 has shown exceptional reliability, recording more than 400 flight hours with a 99% mission availability rate on a single aircraft. He also stressed that the additional purchase options were a strategic decision: Embraer’s current production slots are fully booked until at least 2035, making early action necessary to secure future availability. 

The KC-390 is capable of performing a wide range of missions, including strategic and tactical airlift, aerial refueling, medevac, humanitarian response, and special missions. An intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) version is under consideration. 

As NATO seeks to strengthen its strategic airlift capabilities and reduce dependency on legacy fleets, Portugal’s move may set the stage for a broader European footprint for the KC-390 Millennium. 

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