Embraer (NYSE: EMBJ/ B3: EMBJ3), a global aerospace company, and Anduril, a U.S.-based defense technology company, today announced at the Farnborough Airshow the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly pursue the integration of Anduril’s pallet-launched Barracuda-500M (B-500M) stand-off cruise missile into the C-390 Millennium. Anduril positions the Barracuda-500M as an affordable, mass-producible cruise missile designed to rapidly rebuild and enhance U.S. and allied munitions inventories. The company further emphasizes that the palletized variant enables airlift aircraft to launch dozens of munitions simultaneously, unlocking new concepts of operation centered around cost-effective, large-scale employment. The collaboration aims to expand the C-390’s operational capabilities by providing a flexible, rapidly deployable solution for modern military operations. The initiative represents a significant step in the aircraft’s evolution as a multi-mission platform and force multiplier, supporting agile combat employment and addressing the operational requirements of U.S. and allied forces through enhanced interoperability and mission effectiveness. This agreement shows continued applications for the B-500M, building on recent procurement framework agreements with the U.S. Department of War, as well as a localized production deal with PGZ in Poland.
The C-390 Millennium, built and designed in the 21st century, is the most modern military transport aircraft in its class. It can carry more payload (26 tons) compared to other medium-sized military transport aircraft, flying faster (470 knots) and farther. It can perform a wide range of missions, including cargo and troop transport, equipment and personnel airdrops, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting, and humanitarian missions, operating from temporary or unpaved runways. The aircraft, when configured with quick-installation air-to-air refueling equipment, can operate both as a tanker and as a receiver. This next-generation multi-mission aircraft has been selected by the Air Forces of Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Slovakia, and Lithuania. The C-390 Millennium delivers unmatched capability, reliability, versatility, and performance to meet the tactical and strategic needs of air forces worldwide with seamless interoperability. Anduril completed the first successful flight test of Pallet-Launched B-500M in September 2024 and has since conducted dozens of successful flight tests that have further validated the maturity, performance, and modularity of the Barracuda-500 system, including Networked Collaborative Autonomy flights, terminal engagements, and payload performance validation testing.
“This collaboration with Anduril marks another important step in the evolution of the C-390 Millennium. By exploring the integration of stand-off launch capabilities for palletized, kinetic, and non-kinetic effects, we are further expanding the aircraft’s flexibility to meet the evolving needs of modern air forces. Together, we are developing innovative solutions that strengthen mission versatility, support agile combat employment, and increase operational possibilities for our customers worldwide,” said Bosco Da Costa Junior, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security.
“Integrating the pallet-launched Barracuda-500M with Embraer’s C-390 Millennium gives allied militaries a new way to generate massed, stand-off effects from a proven airlift platform,” said Greg Kausner, Senior Vice President for Global Defense at Anduril. “Anduril’s Barracuda family of systems delivers rapidly producible, operationally relevant capabilities to meet the growing demand for affordable, scalable munitions.”
Anduril Industries, Inc. is an American military technology company specializing in the development of advanced autonomous systems. The company was founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, Trae Stephens, Matt Grim, Joe Chen, and Brian Schimpf. Anduril sells systems to the U.S. Department of Defense that incorporates artificial intelligence and robotics. Anduril’s major products include unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and counter-UAS (CUAS), semi-portable autonomous surveillance systems, and networked command and control software. By bringing the expertise, technology, manufacturing methods, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built, and sold.
A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer operates in the Commercial Aviation, Executive Aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation segments. The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, and provides after-sales Services & Support to customers. Since its foundation in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 9,000 aircraft. On average, every 10 seconds, an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off from somewhere in the world, transporting more than 150 million passengers annually. Embraer is a leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service centers and parts distribution, among other activities, in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.
