Netherlands and Austria order 9 C-390 Millennium transport aircraft
23 July, 2024 KC-390 Millennium military transport aircraft. Photo credits: Embraer The Netherlands and Austria are purchasing a total of nine Brazilian C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft.
The aircraft manufacturer Embraer, producer of these aircraft, reported on this. The contract for deliveries to both countries was signed on Monday, July 22, at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom. According to the agreement, five aircraft will be delivered to the Royal Netherlands Air Force, and four will go to the Austrian Air Force.
In the Netherlands, the C-390 will replace four outdated C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
The Netherlands and Austria have ordered KC-390 Millennium military transport aircraft. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands
Cooperation between Austria and the Netherlands was established last year. It will result in significant savings both during the purchase and for future maintenance of the aircraft.
The joint procurement also allows both countries to exchange experience and details, the Dutch Ministry of Defense emphasized. In addition to the aircraft, the agreement covers training, spare parts, and auxiliary equipment. The Netherlands also intends to purchase a C-390 Millennium simulator.
With the new aircraft, the Dutch Ministry of Defense is upgrading and expanding its air transportation capabilities. It is expected that the first three military transport aircraft for the Royal Netherlands Air Force will be delivered at the end of 2027. In a press release, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer noted that the joint acquisition of the Millennium will allow Austria and the Netherlands, as well as current and future operators of these military transport aircraft, to cooperate and benefit from training, logistics, and future development of the aircraft together with other C-390 operators among NATO countries.
KC-390 Millennium
The KC-390 Millennium from the Brazilian company Embraer is a multifunctional twin-engine medium-range transport jet aircraft.
In addition to transporting a variety of cargo, it can carry out search and rescue operations, medical evacuation, and refuel aircraft in the air. The KC-390's maximum payload is 23 tons. With such a load, it can fly over a distance of 2,590 km, and with a payload of 13.3 tons - 4,800 km.
The KC-390 Millennium has a range of over 6,000 km.
In addition to the Netherlands and Austria, three other European countries have ordered these aircraft, namely Portugal and Hungary, and the Czech Republic is considering the purchase.