FARNBOROUGH—Embraer has signed a contract with the Netherlands and Austria for the European countries’ joint procurement of nine C-390 tactical airlifters, adding pressure on the Brazilian aircraft-maker to ramp up production.
The Netherlands in 2022 selected the aircraft, with Austria following suit in 2023. The two this year finalized an agreement for a joint purchase. Deliveries are due to start in 2027 and run through 2030, said Bosco da Costa Junior, the head of the company’s defense and security operations. The parties did not disclose the value of the order.
The Dutch will get the first three aircraft in late 2027 and early 2028, with the next two going to Austria, before the Netherlands receives its final two and Austria the remaining pair it has ordered under this contract, according to a program official.
Both countries are buying the aircraft in a similar configuration, Austrian armaments director Maj. Gen. Harald Vodosek said at the signing ceremony. There are differences, though.
The Dutch KC-390s, to be based at an air base in Eindhoven, will be able to be refueled and tank other aircraft, with an eye on special operations helicopters. The Austrian aircraft can be refueled, but not tank other aircraft, the program official said.
The Netherlands will set up a maintenance facility and, da Costa said, Austria also will benefit from some technology transfer.
The joint purchase could be a model for European cooperation, said Vice Adm. Jan Willem Hartman, the Dutch armaments director. The effort to buy the platforms with Austria yielded tangible cost savings, according to the program official.
With the strong order intake, Embraer is trying to ensure supply chain disruptions that have affected the entire industry do not derail ramp-up plans. Embraer has the capacity to build up to 18 of the jet-powered airlifters per year, but is still on the path to achieving that level. The company expects to deliver four C-390s this year and reach a dozen in 2030. “We are working very hard with the supply chain” to make that happen, da Costa said.
Talks with Austria about potentially providing the country with a bridging solution to the C-390 remain underway. Vienna is struggling with its aging C-130s and has shown interest in taking C-390 test aircraft as an interim solution.
Embraer also is in competition in Sweden, with a decision likely due this year. The Czech Republic, which has announced plans to buy two C-390s, could also finalize terms by year-end, da Costa said.
Embraer is eyeing the Indo-Pacific markets, as well, particularly after South Korea committed to the program in late 2023. “We have several sales campaigns at an advanced stage,” da Costa said.
The Brazilian company is focused on its single domestic C-390 production line, but is open to producing the airlifter abroad, too. For instance, India is in the market for up to 80 tactical transport aircraft, and Embraer says it would assemble the C-390 there should it be successful. The U.S. remains on Embraer’s target market list, too.
Even though the C-390 is now making its way into a growing number of customer hands, development activities are not ebbing as Embraer seeks to address customer configuration requests, da Costa said.
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