At the ongoing Dubai Airshow, Embraer Defense & Security made a major pitch to the Indian Air Force, positioning its KC-390 Millennium as the ideal solution for India’s long-delayed medium military transport requirement. Officials emphasized that the aircraft can be fully manufactured in India and that specialized variants could be co-developed locally if the IAF selects the jet.
Full Local Manufacturing Commitment
Embraer officials confirmed to an idrw.org-affiliated journalist that they are ready to transfer 100 percent of final assembly, testing, and delivery to India under a complete Make in India framework. “This is not just local assembly,” an official stated. “We will set up a full production line with a likely private Indian partner and raise indigenous content above 60 percent within a few years. This is the same approach we are following in Saudi Arabia and Hungary with full technology transfer.”
Advanced Aircraft Features
The KC-390 on display, serial 390002 in Brazilian Air Force markings, is the Block 20 standard now entering service with Portugal, Hungary, and the Netherlands. It has fly-by-wire controls, twin Pratt & Whitney V2500-E5 engines producing 31,000 pounds of thrust each, a 26-tonne payload, and the ability to operate from 1,200-meter semi-prepared strips at altitudes up to 10,000 feet fully loaded. These capabilities directly address the IAF’s need for rapid deployment into high-altitude forward bases in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.
Multi-Role Platform from Day One
Embraer stressed that the KC-390 is a true multi-role aircraft rather than a fixed tactical transport. Its baseline configuration includes dual aerial refueling, Link-16 and Indian datalink integration, a defensive aids suite, a large rear ramp for paradrop and casualty evacuation, and certification for low-level formation flying and short-field landings with 23-tonne loads.
Potential Variants with Indian Industry
The company is also offering to co-develop mission-specific variants with Indian partners. Proposed derivatives include:
- KC-390 Tanker: Proven in Brazilian service, can offload 28 tonnes of fuel over 500 nautical miles.
- KC-390 EW/ECM: Electronic warfare model with side arrays and high-power jamming pods.
- KC-390 Special Operations: Low-profile configuration with terrain-following radar, infrared sensors, and insertion/extraction kits.
- KC-390 Maritime Patrol: Potential complement or replacement for P-8I with anti-submarine sensors.
Embraer highlighted that the KC-390 is designed as a flexible platform family, capable of evolving into whatever role the IAF requires through 2030 or 2035, from refueling Tejas fighters over the Himalayas to special forces insertion.
Critical Timing for IAF Procurement
The IAF’s medium transport aircraft program, aimed at replacing the Avro-748 fleet with 56–80 units, has been stalled for over a decade. The earlier Airbus-Tata C-295 deal only addressed the lighter 9–10 tonne segment. Senior IAF officers attending the airshow indicated that they are actively re-evaluating the KC-390 against the Lockheed Martin LM-100J following the collapse of the Russian Il-214 program.Cost and Performance Advantages
Embraer claims that the KC-390 is 20–25 percent cheaper than the C-130J-30 Super Hercules in acquisition costs and 30 percent lower in life-cycle costs, while offering superior hot-and-high performance and faster cruise speeds, 470 knots compared with 355 knots for the C-130J.
