Greece is interested in purchasing C-390 military planes, says minister

Greece, which ⁠currently operates ​both the ⁠C-130 and C-27, plans to spend about 28 billion euros ($33 billion) ⁠by 2036 to modernise its armed forces as it emerges from ​a 2009-2018 debt crisis. Portugal's OGMA, 65%-owned by Embraer with the ⁠remainder held by the Portuguese state, is a key industrial partner ⁠in ​the C-390 programme, producing parts of the central fuselage that are shipped to Brazil for final assembly.

Greek Defence Minister ​Nikos Dendias said on ​Thursday that Greece was ‌interested ​in purchasing Brazilian-made Embraer C-390 military planes partly produced in Portugal. Dendias, who is ‌paying a two-day visit to Portugal, was speaking after meeting his Portuguese counterpart, Nuno Melo, in Lisbon.

"We had the opportunity to ‌discuss many issues ... one of them was the possibility of ‌purchasing the C-390 plane," Dendias said. He did not give more details on the number of the planes or the price. Greece, which ⁠currently operates ​both the ⁠C-130 and C-27, plans to spend about 28 billion euros ($33 billion) ⁠by 2036 to modernise its armed forces as it emerges from ​a 2009-2018 debt crisis.

Portugal's OGMA, 65%-owned by Embraer with the ⁠remainder held by the Portuguese state, is a key industrial partner ⁠in ​the C-390 programme, producing parts of the central fuselage that are shipped to Brazil for final assembly. The Iberian ⁠country was the first European and NATO country to place an ⁠order for ⁠the C-390, in 2019, and has received some units in previous years.

($1 = 0.8494 euros)