On Jul. 6, 2026, a new shape crossed into Czech airspace: a twin-engined, high-tailed jet transport in a distinctive three-tone grey, escorted the last stretch home by a pair of Saab JAS 39 Gripens. The newcomer was the Czech Air Force's first Embraer C-390 Millennium — and with it, a small NATO air arm just took a large step up in reach.
The aircraft touched down near Prague after a long ferry flight from Embraer's factory in Brazil. It is the first of two the Czech Republic ordered in 2024, and the flagship of a transport fleet that until now leaned on smaller, shorter-legged aircraft.
• Aircraft: Embraer C-390 Millennium (local designation KCV-390)
• Delivered: 6 July 2026, to the 24th Transport Air Base, Prague-Kbely
• Order: 2 aircraft, signed October 2024 — CZK 11.3 billion (~US$508 million)
• Second aircraft: expected 2027–2028, with hopes to grow the fleet
• Payload: up to 26 tonnes; 80 troops or 64 paratroopers
• Role: NATO-standard tactical transport, medevac, firefighting, air-to-air refuelling
Welcome home
The Czech Armed Forces marked the arrival with obvious pride, posting images of the jet with the words "Vitej doma" — welcome home. The camouflage is worth a second look: a bespoke three-tone grey scheme designed by academic painter Pavel Holy of the Military History Institute in Prague, giving the Brazilian-built airlifter an unmistakably Czech identity.
Its first flight came on May 25, 2026, and Embraer rolled it out in its new paint on Jun. 13. Six Czech pilots, six flight engineers and a dozen ground crew trained in Brazil; instruction continues at home for another six months under Brazilian supervision.
One airframe, many jobs
The C-390 is Embraer's bid to unseat the venerable C-130 Hercules in the medium-airlift class, and its numbers are punchy: a 26-tonne payload, a top speed around 470 knots, and the ability to haul 14 tonnes some 5,000 km — or 8,000 km with auxiliary tanks. It can carry 80 passengers or 64 fully armed paratroopers.
Fitted with a hose-and-drogue refuelling system it becomes the KC-390, able to top up thirsty fighters in flight — including, fittingly, the very Gripens that escorted it home. Beyond hauling cargo, the Czech aircraft is cleared for medical evacuation, firefighting, disaster relief and search and rescue: a single airframe standing in for a small fleet of specialists.
A Czech stake, a European network
This is not simply a foreign purchase. Czech industry is woven into the programme — Aero Vodochody builds the wing leading edges and rear fuselage for the type — and the contract bundles simulators, spares, training and maintenance facilities alongside the jets.
Just as importantly, the Czech Republic becomes the fifth European and NATO operator of the C-390, joining a growing continental club that can pool maintenance, spares and training. For a mid-sized air force, that shared ecosystem is as valuable as the aircraft itself.
The C-390 will share the ramp with the six C-295s and four L-410 Turbolets the Czech Air Force already flies. But make no mistake which aircraft is now the flagship of Czech military airlift. It arrived under Gripen escort for a reason.
Sources: Embraer; Czech Ministry of Defence / Armáda ČR; FlightGlobal; The Aviationist.
Related Questions
What is the Embraer C-390 Millennium?
The C-390 Millennium is a twin-engine medium military transport built by Brazil's Embraer as a modern rival to the C-130 Hercules. It carries up to 26 tonnes of payload, 80 troops or 64 paratroopers, cruises around 470 knots, and can be configured for medical evacuation, firefighting, disaster relief and search and rescue.
Why did the Czech Republic buy the C-390?
The Czech Air Force ordered two C-390s in October 2024 for CZK 11.3 billion (about US$508 million) to replace smaller, shorter-legged transports and gain NATO-standard airlift reach. The first aircraft arrived at Prague-Kbely on July 6, 2026; a second is expected in 2027 to 2028, with hopes to grow the fleet further.
What is the difference between the C-390 and the KC-390?
They are the same aircraft in different roles. Fitted with a hose-and-drogue refuelling system, the C-390 becomes the KC-390 tanker, able to refuel fighters in flight, including the Saab Gripens that escorted the Czech transport home. There is more on the tanker version in the Embraer and Northrop KC-390 partnership.
How much can the C-390 Millennium carry?
The C-390 hauls up to 26 tonnes of cargo, or 80 passengers, or 64 fully armed paratroopers. It can carry 14 tonnes about 5,000 km, or roughly 8,000 km with auxiliary tanks, at a top speed near 470 knots. That mix of speed, range and payload is what Embraer uses to challenge the long-serving C-130 Hercules.
Which countries operate the Saab Gripen?
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a Swedish multirole fighter flown by air forces including Sweden, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Brazil. Two Czech Gripens escorted the country's first C-390 into national airspace. Brazil assembles Gripens locally, and its aviation partnerships reach widely, as in this India and Brazil jet-for-jet swap.
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