The United Arab Emirates has signed a contract for up to 20 Embraer C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft, including 10 firm orders and options for 10 more. The Tawazun Council for Defense Enablement, the UAE’s defense procurement agency, awarded the agreement on May 4, 2026, marking the first C-390 order in the Middle East and the largest from a single international customer.
The aircraft will equip the UAE Air Force and Air Defense for missions such as cargo and troop transport, airdrop operations, humanitarian assistance, medical evacuation, and operations from unpaved runways. Embraer stated the C-390 supports interoperability with UAE national assets and allied forces. The selection followed an evaluation process with test campaigns in the UAE’s operational environment.
The deal includes plans for local maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities in partnership with a UAE-based company. With this order, the C-390 program reaches around 60 orders and commitments from 11 countries. Embraer has delivered 14 aircraft so far, with no delivery timeline disclosed for the UAE units.