Major General Akhmad Jamolovich Burkhonov, Commander of the Uzbekistan Air Force (left), and Bosco da Costa Junior, President & CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, in the cockpit of Uzbekistan’s first C-390 Millennium.
Uzbekistan has become the first operator of the Embraer C-390 Millennium in Central Asia following the delivery of its first aircraft in Brazil, marking another step in the international expansion of the Brazilian-built military transport platform.
Embraer delivered the first C-390 Millennium to the Uzbekistan Air Force on 25 September during an official ceremony at its Gavião Peixoto facility in Brazil.
The milestone gives the C-390 programme its first operator in Central Asia and represents a significant upgrade to Uzbekistan’s military air mobility capabilities.
The agreement, signed at the end of 2024, includes not only the aircraft but also a comprehensive training and support package and the supply of spare parts.
Uzbekistan was publicly revealed as a C-390 customer at the Singapore Airshow in February 2026, having previously been announced as an undisclosed customer. The Uzbekistan Air Force is expected to use the aircraft primarily for transport and humanitarian missions.
A new generation of air mobility
The arrival of the C-390 represents a substantial technological step for the Uzbekistan Air Force.
Designed as a multi-mission military transport aircraft, the C-390 can carry payloads of up to 26 tonnes and reach speeds of approximately 470 knots. Its mission portfolio includes cargo and troop transport, equipment and personnel airdrop, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting and humanitarian operations.
The aircraft is also designed to operate from temporary and unpaved runways, extending its utility in both tactical and humanitarian missions.
With quick-installation air-to-air refuelling equipment, the platform can additionally operate as both a tanker and receiver.
“The delivery of the first C-390 Millennium represents a significant step forward for the modernization of the Uzbekistan Air Force,” said Major General Akhmad Jamolovich Burkhonov, Commander of the Air Force of the Republic of Uzbekistan, highlighting the aircraft’s performance, versatility and multi-mission capabilities.
C-390 continues its international expansion
The Uzbek delivery adds another region to the C-390’s rapidly expanding international footprint.
Beyond Brazil, the aircraft has been selected by customers across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, including Portugal, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Slovakia, Colombia and Lithuania.
For Central Asia, however, Uzbekistan is the first.
That makes the delivery more than the handover of another aircraft: it establishes the C-390 in a new regional market as Embraer continues to expand the programme’s global operator base.
Source: Embraer Defense & Security
Image credit: Embraer
About the Author
