Approved! Hellenic Air Force greenlights acquisition of three Brazilian-built C-390 Millennium multi-mission transports.

• Greece becomes the 13th country to select the Brazilian-built C-390 Millennium, joining a growing list of operators that appreciate its versatility and cost-effectiveness.
• The decision, approved by a Greek parliamentary committee on June 11, marks a significant modernization push for the Hellenic Air Force (HAF).
• The aircraft will be acquired through a government-to-government agreement with Portugal, leveraging existing options to accelerate the process.
• Deliveries are expected between 2027 and 2030, with the C-390s progressively replacing part of Greece’s long-serving but maintenance-challenged C-130H fleet.

Greece has taken a major step in upgrading its military capabilities, approving the acquisition of three Embraer C-390 Millennium tactical transport aircraft to replace its aging Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules fleet.

On Thursday, June 11, 2026, 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.

The deal, valued at approximately €550–600 million (including support and logistics), will strengthen Greece’s strategic airlift capacity with a modern, high-performance platform.

The move is part of a broader defense procurement package that also includes drones and other systems, underscoring Greece’s commitment to modernizing its armed forces amid regional security needs.

The current fleet of Hellenic Air Force transport aircraft

• The Air Force currently bases its transport capabilities on the C-130 Hercules and C-27J Spartan aircraft.
• The C-130s of the 356th Tactical Transport Squadron "Hercules" have been the backbone of the country's strategic airlift for decades, performing missions of transporting personnel, materials, airlifts, humanitarian aid and special operations.
• At the same time, the C-27J Spartan of the 354th "Pegasus" Squadron cover critical needs for tactical transport, airlift and support of island areas.
• Today, Greece has operational C-130 and C-27J, which constitute a key force multiplier for the Armed Forces.

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.

Last month, Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish MRO capabilities to support the C-390 Millennium in Greece.

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.

Brazilian Embraer welcomed the decision, highlighting the aircraft’s proven track record and growing international footprint.

In January 2023, 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 while the alternative was Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules.