The Czech Republic becomes the fifth European NATO member to sign up for the KC/C-390 airlifter, with a deal for two aircraft finalised on 25 October. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The Czech Republic has finalised its contract with Embraer for the procurement of two KC/C-390 Millennium tanker-transport aircraft, the Brazilian manufacturer announced on 25 October.
News of the deal came about three weeks after Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic Jana Černochová informed the country's parliament of the anticipated deal on 2 October, and 12 months after the Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Embraer announced the selection decision in October 2023.
According to the minister, the deal is to be valued at CZK11.3 billion (USD482 million) minus tax and includes a USD82.3 million offset package for Czech industry. The first aircraft will be delivered to the MoD in 2025, she previously added.
The Czech Republic joins European neighbours Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Portugal in selecting the KC-390, while Embraer is also eyeing regional opportunities in Sweden as well as with the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) of the NATO Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) based in Hungary. Beyond Europe, Brazil is the launch customer for the airlifter, with a contract signed with South Korea and letters of intent signed by Argentina, Chile, and Colombia also. Embraer has also registered interest from Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
For more information on the Czech KC/C-390 deal, please seeCzech Republic selects KC-390 tanker-transport aircraft .
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