Possible sale of C-390 Millennium to Sweden
In October 2023, Brazilian Minister of Defence Jose Mucio plans to travel to Sweden to negotiate a potential sale of Embraer’s C-390 Millennium transport aircraft to Sweden.
Mucio told reporters that Brazil was eyeing the sale of three or four C-390 transporters, and that Sweden wants to sell more Saab JAS39E Gripen fighter aircraft to Brazil. In April 2023, Embraer and Saab signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen their collaboration, including working to position the C-390 Millennium as the replacement for the Swedish Air Force's ageing fleet of Tp84 Hercules transport aircraft.
On 20 September 2023, Scramble Magazine first reported that Austria selected the C-390 Millennium. For acquiring the Brazilian made transporter, Austria cooperates with the Netherlands in buying together nine aircraft, five for the Netherlands and four for Austria. The contract is expected to be finalised in the first half of 2024.
Portugal is the first European country that ordered the Millennium. In 2019 they ordered five C-390 Millennium aircraft and a simulator. The aircraft will be operated by Esquadra 506 at Base Aérea (BA) 11 Beja. In November 2020, Hungary followed and signed a contract for the purchase of two KC-390s with air-to-air refuelling (AAR) capability.
In June 2022, Airforces Monthly reported that the Swedish Air Force bought four C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft from Italy. However, this potential deal never materialised.
Image by Embraer