In 2019, Portugal became the 2nd country to order the brandnew and promising KC-390 transporter. Signing the 1st export contract for five aircraft, Portugal's KC-390 are to replace the country's aging C-130H Hercules fleet. The 1st Portuguese KC-390 serialled "26901" was delivered on October 16, 2023, with the 2nd one (pictured here) following on June 27, 2024. Besides a KC-46, some support C-17's and six F-15's from the USAF, "26902" was the only European Air Arm aircraft participating in CRUZEX 2024.

Delivered just a few months earlier, this brand new KC-390 was among the international participants of the Cruzex 2024 exercise, held at Natal AB in Brazil in November 2024.