Greece signed a government-to-government deal with Portugal on Monday to acquire three KC-390 Millennium military transport aircraft . The agreement, signed in Athens by Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and his Portuguese counterpart Nuno Melo, is worth up to €600 million . It includes an option to purchase three additional aircraft. The first plane is scheduled for delivery in 2027. The deal was approved by the Greek parliament in June.
The acquisition gives the Hellenic Air Force its first aerial refuelling capability for fighter jets. Dendias said the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus could not have occurred had Greece possessed mid-air refuelling aircraft .
The KC-390 is manufactured by Brazilian planemaker Embraer. Portugal's OGMA, 65 percent owned by Embraer, produces parts of the central fuselage shipped to Brazil for final assembly. Portugal was the first European and NATO country to order the C-390 in 2019. Greece currently operates C-130 and C-27 transport planes. Athens plans to spend about €28 billion by 2036 to modernise its armed forces .
![Greece Acquires Three KC-390 Aircraft to Enable Midair Refueling of Fighter Jets Greek Air Force has officially finalized a government-to-government defense deal with Portugal to acquire three advanced KC-390 Millennium transport aircraft. The Greek Ministry of National Defence signed the strategic procurement contract on Monday, November 2, 2026. The bilateral military agreement includes a specific option clause to purchase three additional Embraer-manufactured aircraft in the future. Defense […]](https://greekreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Embraer-KC-390-Credit-Matti-Blume-wikimedia-commons-CC-BY-SA-4.0-1024x682.jpg)
