The aircraft will be purchased through an intergovernmental agreement with Portugal. The estimated €600 million value includes personnel training and other associated services.
The first Greek C-390 is scheduled for delivery in 2027. Athens plans to have all three aircraft in service by 2030.
Greece is also considering a follow-on purchase of three additional C-390s. Such an order would increase the planned fleet to six aircraft.
Portugal has ordered six C-390s for its own requirements and holds options with Embraer for as many as 10 additional aircraft. The Greek acquisition is expected to draw on part of that optional allocation.
The arrangement gives Portugal a role in expanding C-390 adoption beyond its own air force. It also provides Greece with a government-to-government route for replacing its ageing Hercules transport capability.
Support for the Greek aircraft is expected to involve Hellenic Aerospace Industry. The company signed a memorandum with Embraer on 22 May 2026 covering support for C-390 operations.
The selection extends the C-390’s presence among international military operators. Before the Greek decision, air forces in 11 countries had already selected the Brazilian-built transport aircraft.
Those customers include Brazil, the Czech Republic, Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria and Slovakia. Sweden, South Korea, Lithuania, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates have also selected the aircraft.
For Greece, the programme represents a phased replacement of its C-130H Hercules fleet rather than a one-time acquisition. The initial three-aircraft order, combined with the option for three more, creates a potential six-aircraft C-390 fleet over the longer term.
