DefenseAngola defense minister visits Portuguese KC-390 base amid potential acquisition talks
Portugal’s Air Force hosted Angola’s Minister of National Defense, General João Ernesto dos Santos, at Air Base No. 11 in Beja on January 16, offering the visiting delegation a close look at the Embraer KC-390 Millennium operated by the Portuguese military.
During the visit, the Angolan delegation toured facilities used by Squadron 506, including the KC-390 flight simulator, which supports part of the aircraft’s pilot training program in Portugal. The visit was accompanied by Portugal’s Minister of National Defense, Nuno Melo, and the Chief of the Air Force Staff, General João Cartaxo Alves.
Although the Portuguese Air Force is not formally part of Embraer’s international KC-390 partnership program, Portugal plays a relevant role in the aircraft’s industrial chain, with several components manufactured domestically. The country was also the first European and NATO operator of the KC-390, positioning itself as a reference customer for the transport aircraft.
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Portugal currently has six KC-390 aircraft on order. In September last year, Lisbon confirmed the purchase of a sixth unit and secured options for up to 10 additional aircraft. These optional airframes are intended to support future transfers to partner nations through government-to-government arrangements.
Angola has repeatedly been cited as a potential customer for the KC-390. In 2025, during an official visit to Angola, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that Brazil’s development bank, BNDES, could finance the sale of three aircraft to the Angolan Air Force. Similar statements had already been made in 2023, when a possible order of four aircraft was mentioned.
Despite Embraer’s recent export successes with the KC-390, the African continent still has no confirmed operators of the type. Angola’s transport fleet remains largely composed of Soviet-era aircraft, including Antonov An-12, An-24/25 and An-32 turboprops, as well as An-72 and Il-76 jets. The country also operates Chinese MA-60 turboprops and an Airbus C295.
Angola, however, is an established Embraer customer in the military segment, having previously acquired EMB-312 Tucano trainers and more recently received six EMB-314 Super Tucano aircraft for light attack and close air support missions.
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