First KC-390 Military Transport Aircraft Lands in Kecskemét for Testing

From April 12, the KC-390 Millennium military transport aircraft manufactured for the Hungarian Defense Forces will stay at the Kecskemét (central Hungary) airbase for three weeks, Minister of Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky informed MTI on Thursday.

According to the statement, the Minister said that the testing schedule, which began after the aircraft’s first take-off on February 8, 2024, has entered its final phase, with ground and air tests being carried out in the final stages of the production process.

The current phase of testing involves the installation and validation of NATO’s special communications equipment, and after that the aircraft will return to Brazil to complete the work, he added.

The Minister noted that the aircraft is not yet flying under Hungarian registration.

Its official handover, including its registration in the Hungarian register, is expected in the autumn.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted that mobility is a fundamental need of all armed forces, which increasingly requires the development of air transport. Not only the speed of logistical support, but also the increasing distances that personnel and supplies have to cover, given Hungary’s active role in remote missions, justify the use of modern military transport aircraft with high transport capacity.

Following the retirement of the Antonov AN-26 military transport aircraft and the growing military transport needs, the Hungarian Defense Forces will acquire two Embraer KC-390 Millennium transport aircraft by the end of 2024, which will provide the Defense Forces with additional capability in military air transport.

The Hungarian version of the aircraft will be capable of carrying payloads of up to 26 tons and will be able to transport beds for intensive care patients and the wounded. In addition to this, the acquisition will also provide the Defense Forces with a completely new competence. The KC-390 Millennium is capable of aerial (in-flight) refueling of combat aircraft, including the JAS-39 Gripen fighter of the Hungarian forces. The investment is therefore a niche development for NATO in the region.

Hungary is not the only country that buys these aircraft. The Czechs are the fourth NATO member state in Europe to order the KC-390 Millennium, with Portugal ordering five, Hungary two and the Netherlands also five.

According to Flightrada24, the new Hungarian Defense Forces aircraft

entered Hungarian airspace at 9 a.m. on Friday and landed at Kecskemét airport a few minutes after 9:30 a.m.

Via MTI; Featured image via Facebook Szalay-Bobrovniczky Kristóf