Sweden orders KC/C-390 to replace ageing Hercules airlifters
An artist's impression of the KC/C-390 in Swedish markings, with the Scandinavian country having signed for four aircraft for its own needs with the option for a further seven either for itself or for other European countries. (Embraer)
Sweden has ordered the Embraer KC/C-390 Millennium to replace its ageing Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules fleet.
The Brazilian manufacturer announced the sale of four aircraft with the option for a further seven for Sweden or allied European countries on 6 October, nearly a year after the Swedish Air Force (SwAF) selected the type in November 2024.
“The [signing] ceremony took place at Uppsala Air Base, hosted by the Swedish Air Force Commander, Major General Jonas Wikman, and attended by Pål Jonson, Minister for Defence of Sweden, along with defence representatives from other C-390 operators such as the Netherlands, Brazil, Austria, Portugal, Hungary, and the Czech Republic,” Embraer said.
As noted in the announcement, Sweden's order is part of a wider trilateral partnership the country is establishing with Austria and the Netherlands for the joint procurement, interoperability, and long-term co-operation around the KC/C-390. Austria and the Netherlands collectively ordered nine KC/C-390s in 2024.
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