On September 5, 2024, a welcoming ceremony was held at the Hungarian Kecskemet air base for the first medium military transport aircraft KS-390 Millenium produced by the Brazilian company Embraer, received by the Hungarian Air Force, out of two ordered under the 2020 contract. The aircraft with the Hungarian tail number "610" (serial number 39000014) and retaining the Brazilian registration RT-ZHP, flew from Brazil and became part of the 101st Aviation Brigade of the Hungarian Air Force stationed at Kecskemet Air Base. Hungarian Defense Minister Christoph Szalai-Bobrownicki took part in the welcoming ceremony of the aircraft.
The first Embraer KC-390 Millenium medium military transport aircraft received by the Hungarian Air Force (Hungarian tail number "610", serial number 39000014, Brazilian registration RT-ZHP) (c) Ministry of Defense of Hungary
On November 17, 2020, the Hungarian government signed a contract with the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer for the supply of two new medium-sized military transport aircraft KS-390 Millenium to the Hungarian Air Force. In Hungary, the designation of this aircraft is officially used as the KS-390, and it is reported that each aircraft for Hungary is equipped with one Cobham 912E outboard refueling container with a flexible hose.
Hungary thus became the second firm actual foreign customer of the Embraer C-390 aircraft, after Portugal, which signed a contract for the purchase of five aircraft in July 2019. Now Hungary has also become the second foreign recipient of the KS-390 aircraft, since Portugal has already received two machines (serial numbers 39000011 and 39000015, only the first of which has so far been commissioned into the Portuguese Air Force).
The C-390 (KS-390) refueling transport aircraft has been developed by Embraer since 2006 and is a ramp machine made in the class of the C-130 Hercules aircraft and claims to replace the latter. Equipped with two International Aero Engines V2500-E5 turbofan engines, the C-390 aircraft, with a maximum take-off weight of 81 tons, must carry up to 23 tons of cargo in a 17.75 m long cargo cabin, as well as perform the tasks of a tanker aircraft (maximum fuel weight up to 37.4 tons). Assistance in the C-390 project was previously provided by the Voeipd Corporation.
Three prototypes of the C-390 were built, which made their first flights in 2015, 2016 and 2018. The Brazilian Air Force initially ordered a total of 28 production C-390 aircraft under agreements in 2010 and 2014, but in 2021 reduced the contract for financial reasons to 19 aircraft, of which six have been delivered so far. The first production aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force (serial number 39000004) made its first flight on October 9, 2018 and was officially handed over to the customer on September 4, 2019.
To date, in addition to Portugal and Hungary, South Korea has also signed contracts for the purchase of C-390 aircraft (a 2023 contract for three aircraft) and the Netherlands and Austria (a joint contract for the purchase of five aircraft for the Dutch Air Force and four aircraft for the Austrian Air Force, signed in July 2024). A preliminary agreement on the purchase of two C-390 aircraft was also signed by the Czech Republic.
The first Embraer KC-390 Millenium medium military transport aircraft received by the Hungarian Air Force (Hungarian tail number "610", serial number 39000014, Brazilian registration RT-ZHP) (c) Ministry of Defense of Hungary
