The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence has selected the C-390 Millennium as its future transport aircraft, manufacturer Embraer announced on 18 June 2025, on the third day of the Paris Air Show.
The decision “marks a significant step in enhancing Lithuania’s operational readiness and interoperability within NATO countries and paves the way for the acquisition process according to national legal procedures and legislation” Embraer stated.
“We have carefully studied the various types of military transport aircraft available on the market, and our assessment has clearly shown that the C-390 Millennium is the most suitable platform to meet our national military operational requirements,” Loreta Maskaliovienė, Lithuania’s vice minister of national defence, was quoted as saying in an Embraer press release. “Therefore, Lithuania has chosen Embraer Company for further negotiations and expects to finalise the acquisition contract in the coming months,” Maskaliovienė added.
Lithuania’s selection of the Millennium continued a roll of positive news for the aircraft coming out of Le Bourget. On 16 June, on the first day of the Paris Air Show, Embraer announced that Portugal is ordering a sixth KC-390. Then, on 17 June, Embraer announced that the Netherlands has ordered a cutting-edge Aeromedical Evacuation System for the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s C-390 fleet: a roll-on/roll-off, self-contained, air-transportable medical module that functions as a mini hospital.
Both of these contracts included options that could be taken up by allies: for up to 10 aircraft in the case of the Portuguese order and seven options in the case of the Dutch Aeromedical Evacuation System.
Lithuania becomes the eighth European nation to select the Millennium: Portuguese initially ordered five KC-390s in August 2019 before ordering a sixth; Hungary ordered two in 2020; the Netherlands and Austria contracted for five and four aircraft respectively in July 2024; the Czech Republic ordered two in October 2024; Sweden committed to acquiring four C-390s in April 2025; and Slovakia at the end of 2024 that it would begin formal negotiations to buy three aircraft. Meanwhile, South Korea ordered three aircraft in December 2023 and original customer Brazil, which already has the KC-390 in service, has ordered a total of 19.
On the back of the C-390 news announced at Le Bourget, Bosco da Costa Junior, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, said there was “amazing momentum” behind the aircraft.
