Greece Confirms Talks with Portugal Over Embraer C-390 Military Transport Aircraft

Greece is weighing the Embraer C-390 arsenic portion of its wider effort to modernize Hellenic Air Force transport capabilities. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / João M.R.T.  / CC BY 2.0

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias confirmed that Greece discussed the imaginable acquisition of the Embraer C-390 Millennium during his authoritative sojourn to Portugal, arsenic Athens continues to measure options for modernizing the Hellenic Air Force’s transport capabilities.

Speaking astatine a associated property league connected May 7 successful Lisbon, aft a bilateral gathering with Portuguese Defense Minister Nuno Melo, Dendias said the talks focused connected strengthening defence practice betwixt Greece and Portugal. He said the talks besides covered imaginable accumulation successful Portugal, arsenic good arsenic Greece’s imaginable acquisition of Embraer’s C-390 subject transport aircraft.

Greece looks astatine caller transport options

Greece presently relies connected Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Leonardo C-27J Spartan craft for tactical airlift missions. However, availability problems affecting portion of the Hercules fleet, on with the structural aging of older aircraft, person accrued unit connected Athens to see a modern replacement oregon complementary platform.

As a result, the Hellenic Air Force is examining options that tin enactment a wider scope of missions portion reducing operational and attraction costs.

Reports suggest that Greece is considering an archetypal acquisition of astatine slightest 3 C-390 aircraft, with the anticipation of further units successful the future. Such a determination would fortify the country’s tactical airlift capableness and could besides present an integrated aerial refueling capability, a longstanding spread successful the Hellenic Air Force’s structure.

Why the C-390 matters for Greece’s airlift needs

The Embraer C-390 Millennium is simply a mean tactical transport craft designed for subject and humanitarian missions. It tin transport troops, vehicles, equipment, and cargo, portion besides supporting aesculapian evacuation, airdrop operations, firefighting, hunt and rescue, and aerial refueling.

The craft tin transportation up to 26 tons of cargo, depending connected ngo requirements. It besides flies faster than accepted turboprop tactical transport craft specified arsenic the C-130J, giving operators greater flexibility successful long-distance and time-sensitive missions.

One of its astir important features is aerial refueling. The C-390 tin run some arsenic a tanker and arsenic a receiver aircraft. For Greece, this capableness would beryllium significant, arsenic it could enactment longer-range operations and amended the endurance of craft taking portion successful national, NATO, oregon EU missions.

Why the craft Is gaining momentum successful Europe

The C-390 has gained momentum successful Europe successful caller years, arsenic respective countries person selected it for their subject transport fleets. The Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, and Lithuania person each chosen the aircraft, portion Portugal already operates it.

Portugal besides plays an important concern relation successful the program. Portugal besides has an concern relation successful the C-390 programme done OGMA, a Portuguese aerospace steadfast partially owned by Embraer, which manufactures components for the aircraft’s cardinal fuselage. The Portuguese Air Force became the archetypal European and NATO idiosyncratic of the C-390 and has already received 4 of the six craft it has ordered.

In addition, Lisbon holds an enactment for up to 10 much aircraft. This could assistance Portugal respond much rapidly to aboriginal European request if further countries determine to determination guardant with purchases.