On Thursday, February 19, 2026, the Brazilian company Embraer (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica) announced the signing of a cooperation agreement with the American company Northrop Grumman to tailor the offering of the multi-mission Embraer KC-390 Millennium transport and aerial refueling aircraft for the United States Air Force (USAF) and its allies.
Photos and image: Embraer
Both companies are jointly addressing the need to efficiently leverage combat potential through shared investment and a focus on rapidly delivering capabilities to interested armed forces.
- Embraer and Northrop Grumman are joining forces to combine their expertise and experience in order to quickly advance the initiatives required to develop a next-generation aerial refueling system.
- Drawing on the companies’ extensive experience in aircraft design, development, and manufacturing, systems integration, and industry-leading production capabilities, the partnership lays the groundwork for the development of a multi-mission version of the Embraer KC-390 Millennium for the United States Air Force (USAF) and allied nations, while also helping to shape requirements for future air logistics architectures.
- Key features are expected to include an advanced, autonomous boom for rigid aerial refueling, enhanced connectivity, improved situational awareness and self-protection system options, as well as adaptable mission systems. These enhancements will expand the range of aircraft supported by the KC-390 in refueling operations and broaden its mission set across diverse operational environments.
“Northrop Grumman, together with Embraer, is making strategic investments to address the gap in advanced air mobility solutions globally. We’re listening to our customers, particularly in allied nations who seek greater operational autonomy and efficiency, and we’re exploring new technologies that will increase the versatility of the proven KC-390 platform and deliver that greater operational independence our customers need,” said Tom Jones, Corporate Vice President and President, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems.
“Together, we will leverage the strengths of two leaders in the defense industry, with a focus on developing a boom refueling system for the KC-390 Millennium so that we can bring the right capability to the U.S. Department of War and other allied nations. The KC-390 is an operationally proven and cost-effective platform that could quickly be added to the U.S. Air Force inventory,” said Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO, Embraer Defense & Security.
Currently, the KC-390 variant is configured to conduct aerial refueling using two hose-and-drogue systems deployed from underwing pods. The Brazilian F-39E Gripen multirole fighters (the local designation for the Saab JAS 39E Gripen) were recently certified to receive fuel in flight.
As reported on October 4, 2025, by the industry outlet FlightGlobal, Embraer plans to establish a KC-390 production line in the United States if the Department of Defense selects its proposal.
The aircraft is 33.5 meters long, with a wingspan of 33.9 meters and a height of 11.4 meters. Maximum takeoff weight is 87 metric tons, including a payload capacity of 26 metric tons. The cargo hold measures 18.5 x 3.0 x 3.4 meters. With a 23-ton payload, the range is 2,815 kilometers. Powered by two IAE V2500-E5 turbofan engines, each producing 139.4 kN of thrust, the aircraft has a cruise speed of 870 km/h and a service ceiling of 11,000 meters.
Currently, the United States Air Force (USAF) is running a program codenamed Next-Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS), previously known as KC-Z. On January 31, 2023, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center under USAF Materiel Command issued a Request for Information (RFI). To date, preliminary concepts have been presented by Lockheed Martin and JetZero (with the JetZero XBW-1), while Boeing, Airbus Defence and Space, and Stavatti Aerospace have also expressed interest. (The latter is regarded as a controversial company due to limited experience and legal and financial disputes with local authorities – editor’s note.)
NEWS | Embraer and @northropgrumman Jointly Developing Advanced Air Mobility Capabilities for US and Allied Nations. Read full news: https://t.co/yfXSU6Atv4 pic.twitter.com/8KStBia1PC
— Embraer (@embraer) February 19, 2026
See also:
- Embraer to Support Hungary’s C-390 Millennium Fleet
- First Embraer C-390 Millennium for the Republic of Korea
- Polish Delegation Visits Embraer to Review C-390 Millennium and A-29 Super Tucano
- Embraer KC-390 Millennium at Chopin Airport
- Polish Armaments Group and Embraer sign cooperation agreements
- India: Embraer and Mahindra Strengthen Cooperation on the C-390 Millennium
- Sweden Orders Four Brazilian Embraer C-390 Millennium Aircraft