Embraer intends to sell the C-390 Millennium airlifter to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), but to replace an unusual aircraft, the Boeing 757.
The RNZAF has operated two 757-200 jets since 2003, which are used for VIP flights but can also be converted to carry cargo.
However, the aircraft have been in service for more than three decades and are experiencing reliability issues.
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Bosco da Costa Jr, CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, revealed to Australian Defense Magazine that the company is monitoring the situation of the two aircraft to propose the C-390 as a solution.
The hypothesis is surprising in the sense that Millennium does not have VIP transport among its main roles. But Bosco Jr stated that there is a “palletized VIP kit” and that the aircraft can perform all missions carried out by 757s.
The Brazilian jet’s payload capacity would be greater as the C-390 can carry up to 26 tons while a 757 freighter is capable of accommodating around 22.5 tons of payload, according to the Air Force.
The Boeing has a fairly large range of 3,900 nautical miles, while the C-390 can fly 1,470 nautical miles with 23 tons of payload.
Out of the competition won by the C-130J
Embraer already sought to close a sale of the Millennium to New Zealand in 2019, but the Air Force ended up choosing the rival C-130J Hercules.
At the time, according to the CEO, the C-390 had not yet reached Full Operational Capability (FOC) and was not in service, which would occur in September of that year.
“They said that this platform (C-390) was too risky for them in 2019,” he told ADM.
Certainly the Super Hercules could not fulfill the same missions as the Boeing 757 since it is a turboprop. For this reason, Bosco Jr. sees the Millennium as an efficient complement to the C-130J fleet.
Although the New Zealand government has not set any goals in this regard, a recent technical failure in one of the jets left the country’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, grounded in Papua New Guinea, on a trip to Japan.
New Zealand’s leaders have avoided spending money on possible upgrades to the two Boeing 757s, which could be an indication that a new aircraft is on the way.