Austria to Replace C-130K Transport Planes with Embraer C-390s

Austria will replace its ageing C-130K military transport aircraft with Embraer C-390 and not the latest C-130J, the country’s Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner announcement today.

Austria is pursuing the acquisition of approximately four aircraft and engaging in negotiations with the Netherlands for a potential collaborative order, as disclosed by Tanner during a press conference. It is anticipated that a formal contract for this order will be executed in the first half of the upcoming year.

In an official statement, Embraer expressed its deep honor at being selected to provide support to Austria and affirmed its readiness to meet the specified requirements.

Embraer's strategic focus has been on expanding the order backlog of its defense division to encompass additional nations. In addition to the order for 19 C-390 aircraft from the Brazilian Air Force, Portugal has placed an order for five, and Hungary has requested two.

While the Netherlands had previously indicated its intention to acquire the military cargo plane, known as the KC-390, a definitive order has not yet been formalized. Furthermore, the Czech Republic, South Korea, India, and Sweden have also emerged as prospective customers for this aircraft.

Recent reports, initially disclosed by Kronen Zeitung on September 19th, have indicated that Austria intends to acquire four C-390 aircraft to replace its existing three C-130Ks. There is a possibility of sourcing the airframes from the Netherlands, a future operator of this platform. The procurement is estimated to cost approximately €130 million to €150 million ($130 million to $160 million) per aircraft, as confirmed by subsequent statements via social media and a press conference from the Austrian Ministry of Defense on September 20th.