The United Arab Emirates has signed a contract for 10 Embraer C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft, with options for 10 more, positioning it to potentially surpass Brazil as the largest operator of the type.
The agreement, announced by the UAE’s Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement, marks the first C-390 contract for a Middle Eastern country. If all options are exercised, the UAE fleet could reach 20 aircraft, exceeding Brazil’s current order of 19 units, which was reduced from an original 28. Brazil leads firm orders with 19, followed by the UAE at 10 and Portugal with six. Other operators include the Netherlands (five), Austria and Sweden (four each), South Korea and Slovakia (three each), and the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Uzbekistan (two each). The program totals 60 firm orders and commitments worldwide, with 14 aircraft delivered to date—eight to Brazil, four to Portugal, and two to Hungary.
Signed on May 4 at the Make It In The Emirates exposition in Abu Dhabi, the deal includes a strategic partnership with Emirati firm Generation Holding 5 for maintenance, repair, overhaul, and after-sales support in the UAE and the Middle East. The C-390 supports missions such as troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, humanitarian aid, airdrop operations, and flights from unprepared runways. UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan described it as the largest international contract for the aircraft, enhancing air force readiness with multi-mission capabilities.