Embraer and Anduril target stand-off strike role for C-390 with Barracuda-500M integration

Embraer and US defence technology company Anduril have agreed to explore integrating the pallet-launched Barracuda-500M stand-off cruise missile with the C-390 Millennium, a move that would expand the military transport aircraft’s role beyond tactical airlift to include long-range precision strike missions.

Announced at the Farnborough International Airshow, the memorandum of understanding (MoU) aims to integrate Anduril’s palletised Barracuda-500M (B-500M) into the C-390 using roll-on/roll-off mission systems and conventional aerial delivery procedures.

If developed, the capability would allow operators to deploy multiple stand-off munitions from the cargo hold while preserving the aircraft’s transport, humanitarian and logistics missions.

The announcement reflects a broader trend among allied air forces to adapt transport aircraft for additional operational roles.

In the United States, the Department of War’s Rapid Dragon programme has demonstrated the launch of palletised cruise missiles from cargo aircraft using standard airdrop techniques, while Airbus is developing concepts that would enable the A400M to deploy and coordinate collaborative combat systems alongside its conventional airlift missions.

Unlike dedicated strike aircraft, palletised launch systems are designed to use transport aircraft with minimal permanent modification.

Missiles are loaded as cargo, released using conventional extraction procedures and activated once clear of the aircraft, allowing the platform to return quickly to airlift duties.

Embraer and Anduril aim to expand the C-390’s mission set beyond tactical airlift

The proposed integration would add a new capability to the C-390 Millennium, which is already used for tactical transport, cargo and troop movement, medical evacuation, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, aerial firefighting and air-to-air refuelling.

Rather than replacing those roles, the companies said the Barracuda-500M would provide operators with an additional option for deploying stand-off effects during dispersed military operations while maintaining the aircraft’s existing versatility.

“This collaboration with Anduril marks another important step in the evolution of the C-390 Millennium,” said Bosco da Costa Junior, President and Chief Executive Officer of Embraer Defense & Security.

“By exploring the integration of stand-off launch capabilities for palletised, 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.”

The concept is intended to use standard roll-on/roll-off mission equipment, allowing operators to install or remove the launch system without extensive aircraft modifications.

That approach enables the aircraft to switch between transport and strike-related missions according to operational requirements.

Barracuda-500M has completed flight testing as Anduril expands its affordable missile family

The Barracuda-500M is part of Anduril’s Barracuda family of autonomous air vehicles, developed as a lower-cost, rapidly manufactured stand-off cruise missile designed to replenish allied weapons inventories and increase production capacity.

According to Anduril, the pallet-launched variant enables transport aircraft to deploy multiple munitions during a single sortie, offering an alternative method of generating long-range strike capability without relying solely on dedicated combat aircraft.

The company completed the first successful pallet-launched flight of the Barracuda-500M in September 2024 and has since conducted dozens of additional flight tests covering networked collaborative autonomy, terminal engagements and payload validation. The missile has also been included in procurement framework agreements with the US Department of War and forms part of a production partnership with Poland’s PGZ.

“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.”

Growing international operator base for the C-390

Designed as a medium military transport aircraft, the C-390 Millennium can carry payloads of up to 26 tonnes while cruising at speeds of approximately 470 knots. It is capable of operating from short, temporary and unpaved runways and can be configured for airlift, troop transport, equipment airdrop, medical evacuation, search and rescue, aerial firefighting and aerial refuelling missions.

The aircraft can also operate as both a tanker and receiver when fitted with its air-to-air refuelling equipment, giving operators additional operational flexibility.

The C-390 has continued to expand its international customer base, with orders from Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Slovakia and Lithuania.

The proposed Barracuda integration represents the latest effort to broaden the aircraft’s mission portfolio as military operators seek platforms capable of performing multiple roles across increasingly complex operational environments.