Embraer C-390 salget ser ut til å tas av - AW&ST

 

Austria, Netherlands To Cooperate On C-390 Procurement

Tony Osborne April 19, 2024

C-390

Credit: Embraer

The Netherlands and Austria are to cooperate on procurement of the Embraer C-390 airlifter, Austrian defense officials have said.

Through a newly signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), announced April 19, the Netherlands will lead on the aircraft purchase for the two nations, buying nine C-390s in total, four of which will be delivered to Austria.

Under the arrangement, the two countries will also seek joint arrangements in aircraft training and maintenance, officials say.

The Netherlands selected the C-390 in June 2022 after procurement officials concluded that the aircraft was a better option than the new-build Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules.

Austria joined the Netherlands in selecting the aircraft last September. In both services, the Brazilian-built aircraft will replace aging C-130 models.

But the Netherlands has yet to formally sign contracts for the aircraft, as the country has not yet formed a new government since elections took place last November, slowing down the procurement.

Nonetheless, Austrian defense officials say the country’s first C-390s could be delivered as soon as 2027.

Five European countries have now either ordered or selected the C-390, including the Czech Republic, Hungary and Portugal. Portugal has taken delivery of its first aircraft, while Hungary’s first aircraft arrived in-country earlier this month for testing ahead of delivery, currently planned for the third quarter of 2024.