Lithuania Set To Join C-390 Club

LE BOURGET—Lithuania has become the latest NATO member to select the Embraer C-390 as its future airlifter, with a commitment to take three of the Brazilian-made aircraft.

After a market assessment, the country’s defense ministry said it determined the C-390 was “best fit” to serve its needs.

“The new military aircraft will allow us to move our troops and equipment faster, further and more economically, while strengthening the alliance's overall deterrence potential,” Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said in a statement.

Lithuania joins other NATO members such as the Czech Republic, Netherlands, Portugal and  Sweden in opting for the aircraft. Slovakia also is in talks with Embraer to buy the C-390, as is European non-NATO member Austria.

The deal comes after Portugal earlier this week said it would take a sixth aircraft along with options for 10 more, some of which could be made available to other European buyers to facilitate faster procurement. Lithuania did not immediately signal if it planned to use the Portuguese options to secure its aircraft.

Šakalienė said Lithuania picked the aircraft both on technical grounds and because of the ability to get hardware delivered. “The possibility of strengthening the air force in the next three years, not 10 years, is an important factor," he said.

Lithuania plans to operate the aircraft alongside the Leonardo C-27J Spartan.