Embraer, a global aerospace leader, and Denel, the leading South African aerospace and defense company, officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the LAAD Defense and Security exhibition in Brazil. This MoU, signed by Chris Boshoff, Group Executive, CEO Aerospace of Denel, and Fabio Caparica, Vice President of Contracts at Embraer Defense & Security, outlines the framework for a potential future collaboration on the KC-390 Millennium aircraft, with a focus on aerostructure manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul activities.
“We are thrilled to strengthen our ties with Denel, a proven aerospace leader in South Africa, as the country looks to replace its legacy military aircraft. We are looking forward to providing South Africa with the most advanced aircraft in its category while cooperating with South Africa’s defense industry,” said Fabio Caparica, Vice President of Contracts at Embraer Defense & Security.
Chris Boshoff, Group Executive CEO of Denel Aerospace, expressed his enthusiasm for partnering with a company renowned worldwide for its quality and craftsmanship, like Embraer. “Our longstanding relationship spans several decades, and this collaboration will further strengthen our ties. Denel is well-equipped and is a suitably qualified industrial partner to undertake the necessary tasks envisaged for the collaboration and will significantly enhance the strategic airlift support capabilities on the African continent.”
The KC-390 Millennium is a next-generation military transport aircraft particularly suited for operations in South Africa. Its versatility, ease of reconfiguration between two missions, and ability to operate from unprepared airstrips make it an ideal, cost-efficient aircraft for modern armed forces of the African continent.
The KC-390 Millennium can carry more payload (26 tons) compared to other medium-sized military transport aircraft and flies faster (470 knots) and farther, being capable of performing a wide range of missions including humanitarian aid, transport and airdrop of cargo and troops, air-to-air refuelling both as tanker and receiver, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting and special operations, while operating from temporary or unpaved runways such as packed earth, soil and gravel.
The aircraft has been acquired by eight countries: Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, South Korea, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, and an undisclosed customer. It has also been officially selected by Sweden and Slovakia to modernize their air forces.
Since entering service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019, the Portuguese Air Force in 2023, and, most recently, the Hungarian Air Force in 2024, the KC-390 Millennium multi-mission military aircraft has proven its capability, reliability and performance. The current global fleet of KC-390 Millennium aircraft presents mission completion rates exceeding 99%, demonstrating exceptional productivity in its segment.
