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Embraer KC-390 Military Transport

The EMBRAER KC-390 sets a new standard in medium-lift military transport. A twin turbofan with outstanding operational productivity, the KC-390 has the lowest total life cycle cost and the highest availability in its class.

The KC-390 is a military transport aircraft developed to establish new capacity and performance standards in its category, delivering at the same time the lowest life-cycle cost in the market. A genuine multimission aircraft, it can transport and launch cargo and troops, perform medical evacuation, search and rescue, as well as fight forest wildfires, among other missions. The KC-390 can also be used as aerial refueler and it has great flexibility, refueling from helicopters to high-performance fighter aircraft.

Equipped with a modern cargo handling system, the KC-390 can transport large-sized cargo such as pallets, vehicles, helicopters, in addition to troops, paratroopers, medevac stretcher or mixed configurations. The state-of-the-art integrated avionic system and a fly-by-wire flight control facilitates the aircraft piloting, reducing pilot workload and increasing the mission’s efficiency. The KC-390 can also be equipped with an advanced self-defense system and has ballistic protection in critical areas, which increases the survival capacity in hostile environments.

Capable of being quickly configured as a tanker, the KC-390 uses state-of-the-art avionics, with dual HUD, and a full-featured mission system, including accurate computed air release point (CARP). It is equipped with a complete self-protection system and is fully NVG compatible. The KC-390 presents extraordinary field performance and is capable of operating from short and semi-prepared airstrips. The technical advances of the KC-390 include fly-by-wire technology, which lessens pilot work load by optimizing mission results and increasing safety and the capability for operating on short and rustic runways.

The KC-390 twin-jet has a cargo bay equipped with an aft ramp to transport a wide variety of cargo, including armored vehicles, and will be equipped with the most modern systems for handling and launching cargos. The KC-390 can be refueled in flight and can be used for in-flight or on-ground refueling of other aircraft. The cargo bay will allow configurations for Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) missions. The technical advances of the KC-390 include fly-by-wire technology, which lessens pilots’ work load by optimizing mission results and increasing safety and the capability for operating on short and rustic runways.

The KC-390 is the largest airplane ever built by the Brazilian aeronautics industry, and it will set a new standard for medium-sized military transport aircraft, in terms of performance, payload, and advanced mission and flight systems, such as fly-by-wire. The development program is an important opportunity for improving the technological readiness level of the Nation’s companies that planned to become Embraer suppliers, or subcontractors of foreign suppliers that had been selected.

In 2011, the key suppliers and partners were selected to supply important systems, such as DRS training & control systems and the cargo handling & control system. These key suppliers and partners includes:

• ELEB, an Embraer industrial unit, which will develop and manufacture the landing gear;
• Aero Vodochody, which will supply the rear fuselage II section and crew and parachutist doors, among other parts;
• FAdeA, which will manufacture aerostructure parts;
• AEL, which will supply the mission computer, Head-Up Display and other systems;
• Rockwell Collins, which will supply the avionics systems;
• Liebherr Aerospace, which will supply the environmental and cabin pressure control systems;
• the multinational consortium IAE, which will supply the engines; and
• Esterline Control Systems, which will supply the autothrottle system, among others parts.

Following the selection of suppliers, the Brazilian company, AEL Sistemas, was selected to supply three more components to the KC-390 jet: the Self-Protection System (SPS); the Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM); and the Head-Up Display (HUD). Embraer Defense and Security signed a partnership contract with our subsidiary OGMA – Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal and the Portuguese company EEA – Empresa de Engenharia Aeronáutica. According to this agreement EEA will develop the engineering project for the KC-390’s components, which will be manufactured by OGMA.