South African National Defense Force advances with C-390 acquisition process

C-390 South African National Defense Force

– Second visit of this new generation aircraft in South Africa is an outstanding success

– Multi-mission aircraft is perfectly suited to replace the legacy aircraft currently in service with South Africa

– Embraer was honored to welcome Mr. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa and Mrs Angie Motshekga, Minister of Defense of South Africa and to demonstrate the capabilities and state of the art systems of the C-390 Millennium

Pretoria, South Africa, September 25, 2024 – Embraer, a global leader in the aerospace industry, is proud to announce the spotlight appearance of its C-390 Millennium multi-mission military transport aircraft at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition, held at Waterkloof Air Force Base, September 18-22.

As one of the world’s premier defense and aviation showcases, AAD provides a strategic platform for Embraer to demonstrate the exceptional capabilities of the C-390 to a global audience of defense, aviation experts and political authorities.

At this edition, Embraer had the pleasure of presenting all the capabilities of the C-390 Millennium to the president of South Africa, the Honourable President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa and the Minister of Defense, Mrs. Angie Motshekga. This new generation aircraft also attracted great interest from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), which had the opportunity to evaluate it.

“Embraer recognizes the professionalism and dedication of the SANDF during the ongoing selection process to renew its fleet of legacy transport aircraft as the C-390 is a strategically important aircraft that offers outstanding versatility, range, and speed. We are confident that it is well suited to meet the needs of the South African National Defense Force as well as other government authorities”, said Bosco da Costa Junior, president and CEO, Embraer Defense & Security.

“South African National Defense Force has had the opportunity to evaluate the C-390 Millennium and we appreciate the wide range of capabilities and technology that we’ve experienced. SANDF has shown interest in the C-390 Millennium, as it advances in the necessary steps for the selection of the much needed strategic lift capability for the SANDF.” said the South African National Defence Force.

The aircraft is particularly appreciated for its capability to carry up to 26 tons of cargo at high speed and perform a wide spectrum of missions anytime in the most demanding operational conditions. Since 2019, the C-390 Millennium has demonstrated its operational efficiency for its end users, performing tactical troop, cargo, vehicles, and equipment transport, medical evacuation, disaster management, humanitarian aid, quick crisis response, search and rescue, aerial refueling and firefighting.

As the most advanced aircraft in its category, the C-390 is equipped with a modern avionics suite and a state of the art mission software for unrivalled mission success.  The C-390 Millennium, already a proven workhorse, has been selected by Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, The Netherlands, Austria, South Korea and Czech Republic.

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