Slovakia has taken a step toward acquiring three C-390 Millennium aircraft by signing a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Brazilian government aimed at deepening cooperation between the two countries.
The document was signed in Brazil during a visit by Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák.
According to Embraer, he acknowledged that “the C-390 Millennium is the option that best meets Slovakia’s requirements for a future military transport aircraft.”
There was no quote from Kaliňák, however, and the Slovak Defense Ministry website had not released a statement about the visit when this article was published.
Follow Air Data News: WhatsApp | Google News | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
The preference for the Embraer aircraft would involve the numerous contracts with other NATO members, which would facilitate exchanges between European operators.
Negotiations for the acquisition of the three airlifters will begin in January.
“The C-390 is currently the best aircraft in its category due to its cost efficiency, versatility and reliability, being able to perform the most demanding missions anytime, anywhere. We are confident that the C-390 is the most suitable aircraft to meet the needs of the Slovak Air Force,” said Bosco da Costa Junior, President & CEO of Embraer Defense & Security.
Currently, there are orders from Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary among European nations. Sweden has also selected the C-390, but has not yet signed a formal agreement. Of these, only Austria is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The Slovak Air Force currently has limited transport capacity, with five L-410 turboprops and only two Alenia C-27Js, both of which have a lower capacity than the C-390.
