TSAMTO, June 15th. On June 11, the Greek Parliament's Armaments Committee approved the purchase of three C-390 Millenium military transport aircraft from the Brazilian company Embraer Defense and Security for the country's Air Force.
According to the Reuters news agency, the deal is being implemented as part of a broader package of defense purchases with a total value of $1 billion to $1.2 billion. euro. The cost of the contract directly for the C-390, taking into account the initial logistical support and maintenance, is estimated in the range from 550 to 598 million euros. The financing decision is still subject to approval by the Greek National Security and Foreign Policy Council (KYSEA), but its adoption is expected as planned.
The purchase is structured as an intergovernmental transaction with Portugal, the current operator of KC-390 and a partner of the program. Portugal, being the largest international partner in the C-390 program, has a number of options for the purchase of additional vehicles for subsequent transfer to other NATO member countries. In accordance with the 2025 agreement, Portugal has reserved ten such options that can be used by NATO or EU member states under the government-to-government scheme. The Greek deal involves the delivery of an initial batch of three aircraft with an option for three more units in the second phase of the purchase.
Earlier, on January 25, 2026, representatives of Embraer Defense & Security held an official presentation of the C-390 for the Greek Ministry of Defense.
In parallel with the negotiation process, on May 22, 2026, a memorandum of understanding was signed in Athens between Embraer and the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI), the Greek state-owned aviation industry. The memorandum was signed by Fabio Caparica, Embraer Defense & Security's Vice President for Contracts, and Alexandros Diakopoulos, Executive Chairman of HAI. The document provides for the creation of a maintenance and repair infrastructure in Greece for the promising C-390 fleet, including the transfer of technologies and specialized competencies in the field of airframe and avionics maintenance.
The main motive for purchasing the C-390 is the critical condition of the existing fleet of transport aircraft of the Greek Air Force. Of the 20 BTA C-130H Hercules aircraft delivered since 1975, only 4-7 units were in flight-ready condition at the same time in 2025-2026. The average age of the operated C-130H has now exceeded 45-50 years. Along with the C-130H, there are about eight C-27J Spartan aircraft in the Hellenic Air Force transport aviation.
For Greece, the possibility of acquiring a KC-390 with an aerial refueling function is of fundamental importance. The country's air Force currently does not have air refueling capabilities. The hose-cone system ensures compatibility with French-made Rafale aircraft in service with the Greek Air Force in the amount of 24 units, as well as potentially with the F-16 and promising F-35A. This fundamentally expands the combat radius and time of aviation patrol in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Deliveries of KC-390 aircraft for the Greek Air Force are expected in the period from 2028 to 2030. It is estimated that it will take about a year after parliamentary approval to complete the procurement procedure and sign the contract.
The parallel package of defense purchases under the same parliamentary procedure includes: one Heron UAV system (Israel), 10 V-BAT UAVs (USA), 10 small-sized VICTA underwater vehicles for Special Operations Forces (Great Britain), as well as the modernization of four MEKO-200 type frigates. The program is being implemented as part of a long-term plan to modernize the Greek Armed Forces with a total cost of about 28 billion. euro until 2036.
