"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.
Two KC-390s ordered, deliveries slated for 2029 and 2030
The Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC) has finalized a contract to acquire two KC-390 Millennium airlifters from Embraer, the FAC announced. According to the FAC press release, the first aircraft is expected to arrive in 2029 and the second in 2030. The deal is estimated to cost roughly $366 million and, the FAC said, includes "fixed prices that protect the national budget" from inflationary pressures.
Why the FAC chose the KC-390
The FAC said the KC-390 was selected following "rigorous analysis" tied to a broader strategy to modernize Bogotá’s air and space forces. As a multirole airlifter, the KC-390 is described in the release as capable of a range of missions — from troop and cargo transport to aerial refueling using a hose-and-drogue system. The FAC further highlighted the Millennium’s ability to "integrate" with forthcoming JAS 39 Gripen fighters that Colombia ordered last year and which Embraer is co-producing with Saab via a final assembly line in Brazil.
Built by Nubivance.
OSINTSights' secure edge-first architecture, AI content pipeline, and serverless ops are designed by Nubivance. We do this for clients too.
Talk to us →Fleet context: aging C-130s, Super Tucanos, and Kfir phase-out
The FAC currently operates legacy models of the Lockheed Martin C-130 in its airlift fleet, one of which crashed in March, killing 69 people, according to the FAC statement. Bogotá also flies Embraer’s A-29 Super Tucano and is phasing out its fleet of Israel Aerospace Industries Kfir fighters to replace them with the Gripen. The KC-390’s multirole design and refueling capability were presented by the FAC as complementary to that broader transition.
Embraer’s commercial strategy and recent wins
Embraer has positioned the KC-390 as a competitor to the C-130 platform and has seen multiple international contract wins this year. The Colombian selection is at least the third KC-390 contract win in 2026, following orders by the United Arab Emirates in May and by Greece in June. Embraer executives have said they expect the Millennium’s total addressable market to be as high as 450 aircraft over the next two decades. Separately, through a new partnership with Northrop Grumman, Embraer is studying plans to outfit the KC-390 with a dedicated refueling boom that would enable the Millennium to refuel a wider range of aircraft.
What this means for the FAC, Embraer, and regional airlift planners
- The FAC: The two KC-390s are intended to expand airlift and aerial refueling capabilities and to "integrate" with incoming Gripen fighters, supporting the FAC’s stated modernization strategy while maintaining price protections for national budgeting.
- Embraer: The contract reinforces Embraer’s sales momentum for the Millennium in 2026 and supports the company’s assertion of a large potential market; the Northrop Grumman partnership signals efforts to broaden the KC-390’s operational envelope through a possible refueling boom.
- Regional airlift planners and operators: Colombia’s choice underscores a continuing trend in which air forces weigh newer multirole transport designs against legacy C-130 variants, with interoperability and future fighter-refueling needs part of procurement calculations.
The FAC’s statement frames the KC-390 purchases as part of a coordinated modernization path that ties transport, tanker capability, and fighter integration together. With the first aircraft not due to arrive until 2029 and a possible boom-equipped variant under study with Northrop Grumman, the deal raises clear milestones to watch: delivery timing, the advertised budget protections, and how the airlifters are integrated operationally with Colombia’s incoming Gripen fighters.
