The C-390 will supplement the C-27J, strengthening the Lithuanian Air Force and supporting interoperability with NATO partners.
Lithuania announced on Jun. 19, 2025 the selection of the Embraer C-390 Millenium military cargo aircraft as its next airlifter, and will soon begin negotiations with the Brazilian aviation major. While the Ministry of National Defence (MND) has not specified the number of aircraft it would buy, LRT has put the figure at three airframes, the exact number of C-27J Spartans the Lithuanian Air Force currently uses.
The C-390 would supplement the C-27J in service’s overall military transport capability. In fact, “the acquisition would back up the existing C-27J Spartan capability,” the MND said in its press release.
The MND also added it “kicked off talks” after “concluding evaluations of proposed aircraft from three aviation companies based on market analysis data.” However, it has not mentioned the other contenders. Two of them are likely to be Airbus, offering the A400M, and Lockheed Martin, pitching its C-130 Hercules.
🇱🇹 Lithuanian MoD starts talks on new military transport aircraft.
✈️ After market assessment, Embraer C-390 selected as best fit for 🇱🇹 needs – a modern, multi-role upgrade for defence: transport, refueling, SAR, firefighting & more.
📸 @embraer pic.twitter.com/KqVKY9KyFx
— Lithuanian MOD 🇱🇹 (@Lithuanian_MoD) June 18, 2025
“The C-390 Millennium manufactured by Embraer Defense & Security was selected as the choice that ticked off the most boxes in Lithuania’s requirement list,” the release explained. The C-390 Millenium is already used by Brazil (entered service in 2019), Portugal (2023) and most recently the Hungarian Air Force (in 2024). Other future European operators are the Netherlands, Austria, Czech Republic, Sweden and Slovakia. This makes Lithuania the ninth operator of the aircraft.
Lithuania’s C-27J Spartans
The Lithuanian Air Force (LTAF, or Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos/LK KOP) currently operates three C-27J Spartans, made by Italy’s Alenia Aeronautica, now Leonardo. The last of these entered service late in 2009 and operated from the type’s home base in Siauliai.
The previous two airframes were delivered in 2006 and 2008 and saw significant service in Afghanistan, with 300 trips to the Central Asian country in support of the NATO forces there. The aircraft was “utilized for troop transportation, airdrop operations, medical airlift, VIP transportation and other special assignments,” as per the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MND).
#NOTÍCIA | Lituânia escolhe o C-390 Millennium da Embraer para fortalecer sua prontidão militar. Leia notícia completa: https://t.co/hoPSdfxAZY #EmbraerStories #C390 #Millennium pic.twitter.com/d62KpMP0u4
— Embraer (@embraer) June 18, 2025
Enhanced military capability for NATO
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) statement said that the C-390 “will fundamentally strengthen the Lithuanian Air Force capability and support excellent interoperability between the Lithuanian defence and NATO partners.”
With its airlift capability being largely towards the tactical end of the spectrum, requiring a more current and heavier military cargo capability is also in line with increasing responsibility in the NATO alliance. This is particularly as the U.S. under President Donald Trump. diminishes political and strategic support to Europe, with France and Germany now playing a greater role in strengthening the alliance’s eastern flank before Russia.
NATO also identified Lithuania on Jun. 6, 2025 as one of the eight battlegroups, or Forward Land Forces (FLFs), staffed by multinational armies from member states to establish “deterrence,” “forward presence,” and “defence posture […] in the eastern part of Alliance territory.”
Early May also saw the execution of the Exercise Iron Wolf 2025-I, where the “defensive and offensive” operations by roughly 8,000 troops culminated in an airborne assault operation by the U.S. Army’s 173rd Air Assault Brigade, before it transitioned to Exercise Swift Response 2025. The massive use of tactical vehicles and specialized military equipment would need greater and heavy-hauling airlift capability.
Promote interoperability, collective security and simplify logistics
Embraer said in its press release that, by adopting the C-390 Millennium, Lithuania will “significantly enhance its operational capabilities while benefiting from the ecosystem and synergies present in Europe in terms of support and training.” This is owing to the large number of European users mentioned above, that eases spare part availability, logistics and eventually checks life-cycle costs.
The Lithuanian MND said that the “evaluation was based on operational aircraft requirements,” of the Lithuanian military, besides the “ecological and economical parameters, delivery deadlines and potential for industrial cooperation of the manufacturer, i.e. inclination for cooperation with enterprises and scientific institutions in Lithuania.”
Embraer has been known to be more friendly towards local joint manufacturing and offset obligations. A proposed Embraer manufacturing facility in Poland will further simplify logistics, bring down costs and generate jobs. This is especially since Greece too has been reported to be considering the aircraft to replace its older C-130 Hercules.
07 | Alenia C-27J Spartan | Lithuania Air Force | 15.6.24 zrh pic.twitter.com/N4So0uDn8J
— LSZH Spotter 🇺🇦 (@Schmidy_87) June 15, 2024
The MND added that, “compared to other market options,” C-390 Millennium also boasts “fuel efficiency,” “lower pollution and comparatively silent jet engines.”
“The aircraft are efficient in crisis and in peacetime due to their maintenance cycle compatible with civilian aircraft. Another factor in favor is the manufacturer’s commitment to contribute to the Lithuanian defence sector through industrial cooperation,” the release added.
Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė said in the statement: “We are buying strategic airlift capability, something in short supply among NATO Allies in Europe, rather than just next generation air assets. The gap has been brought up in NATO meetings numerous times. The new aircraft will enable a quicker and more economical airlift of equipment and troops while at the same time adding to the overall Alliance’s deterrent potential. Lithuania needs an aircraft with heavy lift capacity and substantial operational range, as well as compatible with NATO standards, so that we can contribute in multinational missions as equals.”
A 🇸🇪 é a sexta nação europeia a escolher a aeronave de transporte multimissão C-390 Millennium da 🇧🇷 @embraer, juntamente com 🇦🇹, 🇨🇿, 🇭🇺, 🇳🇱 e 🇵🇹. pic.twitter.com/UYTOCYuota
— Defence 360° (@Defence360) November 10, 2024
Lastly, the acquisition of the C-390 Millenium will also be followed by exercises that see cross-servicing of platforms belonging to allied nations, which has been a prominent feature of U.S. drills with NATO member states Finland and Netherlands. This enhances overall aircraft availability.
