Embraer's KC-390 Millennium in flight during the 2026 Farnborough airshow. (Bartosz Głowacki / Breaking Defense)
WASHINGTON — Colombia has finalized a deal to buy two KC-390 Millennium airlifters from Brazilian planemaker Embraer, the Colombian Aerospace Force announced today.
The first aircraft is expected to arrive in 2029, followed by the second in 2030, according to a press release from the Colombian Aerospace Force, or FAC (Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana). The deal is estimated to cost roughly $366 million, with “fixed prices that protect the national budget” from inflationary pressures.
The FAC said in the release that the aircraft was selected as the result of “rigorous analysis” stemming from an overarching strategy to modernize Bogotá’s air and space forces. The FAC further touted the Millennium’s ability to “integrate” with forthcoming JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets — which Embraer is co-producing with Swedish manufacturer Saab via a final assembly line in Brazil — that Colombia ordered last year.
“We are honored by the FAC’s decision to select the KC-390 Millennium,” Bosco da Costa Junior, the CEO of Embraer’s defense division, said in a company press release. “The KC-390 will significantly expand and strengthen Colombia’s airlift and aerial refueling capabilities, setting a new standard for operational excellence.”
