The Dutch Ministry of Defense inked a contract for nine Embraer C-390 Millennium aircraft in a collaborative purchase with Austria.
The agreement, formalized at the 2024 Farnborough Airshow, is part of a project called the Replacement of Tactical Airlift Capacity.
In June 2022, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced it would replace the four C-130H Hercules transport aircraft operated by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) with five C-390 Millennium airlifters. The first delivery is expected in 2026.
In July 2023, the Federal Ministry of Defense of Austria took a similar decision and ordered four C-390 to replace its three C-130K Hercules. Austria hopes to receive the first C-390 aircraft by 2026 or 2027.
Mutualizing C-390 support among European operators
Embraer states that the partnership will enable the Netherlands and Austria to take advantage of shared training, logistics, and future platform growth opportunities, alongside other C-390 operators. Portugal and Hungary are currently using the aircraft, and the Czech Republic announced in October 2023 that it intended to buy two Brazilian airlifters.
The C-390 Millennium is a tactical transport aircraft. Equipped with two specially designed Pratt and Whitney V2500-E5 engines, it can transport 26 tons of cargo and is specifically designed for takeoff and landing on semi-prepared and unpaved airfields. It can also be configured with air-to-air refueling equipment, with the designation KC-390.