On Thursday, June 11, 2026, during an afternoon vote at 4:00 p.m., members of the Hellenic Parliament approved requests from the country’s Ministry of Defense concerning the purchase of a foreign equipment and weapons package worth 1.081 billion EUR, including three Embraer C-390 Millennium medium, jet-powered, multirole transport aircraft.
Photos: MILMAG Archives
In late April, the Council of Chiefs of the Hellenic Armed Forces General Staff (SAGE) approved a package prepared by the ministry that included:
- 300 AGM-114R2 Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles, also known as AGM-114R Hellfire II/Romeo Hellfire, for about 125 million EUR;
- 10 additional Shield AI V-Bat vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicles, including six for the Hellenic Army and four for the Hellenic Navy, for EUR 71 million;
- two additional IAI Heron TP unmanned aerial vehicles for 40 million EUR;
- three Embraer C-390 Millennium transport aircraft for 600 million EUR;
- 10 British SubSea Craft SUPER VICTA underwater vehicles, including four for DYK, the Underwater Demolition Command, and six for DEP, the Special Warfare Command, for 145 million EUR;
- 3,500 night-vision binoculars through the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation for 76 million EUR;
- four sonars for Hydra-class missile frigates, the German MEKO 200HN type, for 24 million EUR.
C-390 Millenium
Photo: Embraer
On January 28, 2023, the South American defense outlet SA Defensa reported that the Greek government had held talks with the management of Brazilian company Embraer on the possible acquisition of C-390 Millennium transport aircraft to replace its aging C-130B/H Hercules fleet. The possible alternative was said to be the U.S.-made Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules.
The Hellenic Air Force (Polemikí Aeroporía) has operated Lockheed C-130 Hercules medium transport aircraft since the 1970s. Initially, 12 factory-new C-130H aircraft were ordered, and in 1992 the U.S. government transferred five used C-130B aircraft from U.S. Air Force surplus stocks. Two aircraft were lost in accidents, and as the remaining aircraft have gradually been withdrawn from service, six now remain in the active fleet. In addition, two C-130H EW aircraft are operated as a specialized electronic warfare variant. These are supplemented by eight light Leonardo C-27J Spartan aircraft.
Meanwhile, on May 22 this year, Embraer signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Greece’s Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) to strengthen strategic cooperation in aviation and defense. The agreement, signed by Fabio Caparica, Vice President of Contracts at Embraer Defense & Security, and Alexandros Diakopoulos, Executive Chairman of HAI, is intended to provide the Hellenic Air Force with the operational autonomy and support needed to manage its future C-390 fleet, while also developing the capabilities of the domestic industry.
“Signing this MoU with Embraer means more to us than a business agreement. It reflects our conviction that HAI can and should be the natural choice for world-class aerospace companies seeking a reliable partner in Europe. Developing C-390 maintenance and support capabilities in Greece does not only serve the operational needs of the Hellenic Air Force – it also builds an industrial foundation of lasting, long-term value for our country. It is precisely this combination of operational autonomy and industrial development that defines HAI’s strategic direction,” said Mr. Alexandros Diakopoulos, Executive Chairman of Hellenic Aerospace Industry.
“Hellenic Aerospace Industry is a company we know well and with whom we have cooperated for several decades. Over the years, we have come to value the expertise of its employees and the quality of the work they deliver. Under these conditions, HAI naturally stands out as the ideal partner for us in Greece.” said Fabio Caparica, Vice President of Contracts at Embraer Defense & Security.
“This strategic agreement with Hellenic Aerospace Industry paves the way for future discussions on expanding in-country maintenance expertise, supporting enhanced MRO capabilities and autonomy for the Hellenic Air Force (HAF). We are committed to strengthening this partnership by sharing our services and support expertise to help develop local capabilities and establish a solid foundation for long-term, sustainable cooperation. This agreement will also enable Embraer to further strengthen its presence in Greece and reinforce its long-standing relationship with the country,” said Douglas Lobo, Vice President Customer Support & Aftermarket Sales, Embraer Services & Support.
Photo: MILMAG Archive
The C-390 Millennium stands out as the most capable aircraft in its class, designed to carry out complex missions in the most demanding conditions. Designed and built in the 21st century to meet current and future threats, this medium multirole transport and tanker aircraft offers excellent performance, operational flexibility, and cost efficiency. Its capabilities include aerial refueling, Agile Combat Employment, and rapid response across a wide range of mission profiles.
Since 2014, Embraer has secured orders for the C-390 Millennium from Brazil, which contracted 19 aircraft instead of the originally planned 27; Portugal, with six aircraft and an option for 10 more; Hungary, with two; the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with five; Austria, with four; the Republic of Korea, with three; the Czech Republic, with two; Sweden, with four and an option for seven more; an undisclosed customer, with two aircraft ‒ initially suspected to be Morocco, but according to the manufacturer’s latest information, this is Uzbekistan, editor’s note ‒ and the United Arab Emirates, with 10 aircraft and an option for 10 more. In addition, Slovakia and Lithuania are each expected to order three aircraft, although contracts have not yet been signed. In Lithuania’s case, Vilnius postponed the decision in January 2026 until after 2030 and will modernize its C-27J Spartans by 2036.
The aircraft is currently being promoted on the Saudi market, in India together with the Mahindra Group under the MTA program, estimated at 40–80 aircraft, and more broadly across the Asian market. It is also being promoted in Poland, where the company-owned aircraft has appeared twice: on December 2, 2025, at Warsaw Chopin Airport, and on March 13 this year at Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 2 (WZL-2) in Bydgoszcz. Together with Northrop Grumman, the aircraft is also being offered in the United States as an aerial tanker equipped with a refueling boom. In total, out of 47 serial-production aircraft ordered, 14 have been delivered so far, and the fleet has already logged more than 20,000 flight hours.
The aircraft is 33.5 m long, has a wingspan of 33.9 m, and is 11.4 m high. Its maximum takeoff weight is 87 t, including a payload of 26 t. The cargo hold measures 18.5 × 3.0 × 3.4 m. Its range with a 23-ton payload is 2,815 km. Powered by two IAE V2500-E5 turbofan engines, each producing 139.4 kN of thrust, it has a cruising speed of 870 km/h and a service ceiling of 11,000 m.
NEWS | Embraer and Hellenic Aerospace Industry @HAIcorp advance strategic cooperation to develop long-term C-390 MRO capabilities in Greece. Read full news: https://t.co/mFMX1DbFtT pic.twitter.com/fb5d2S7asb
— Embraer (@embraer) May 22, 2026