Greece Orders Three Embraer KC-390s as Manufacturer Data Leaves Tactical Airlifter Comparison Incomplete
Why It MattersGreece's pick adds to Embraer's European customer list, while the manufacturers' mismatched definitions and missing figures leave tactical airlifter buyers without a like-for-like comparison.
Greece signed on 2 November 2026 in Athens for three Embraer KC-390 Millennium transports, with options for three more, to replace Hellenic Air Force C-130H Hercules aircraft that have been flying since the 1970s. The deal is a government-to-government agreement with Portugal worth up to €600 million (about $672 million) for three aircraft plus follow-on support, a figure approved by a Greek parliamentary committee in June 2026. Embraer counts Greece as the fourteenth nation and the seventh European country to select the type. Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias highlighted the jet transport in Athens.
Comparing the KC-390 with Lockheed Martin's C-130J and Airbus's A400M, using only figures the manufacturers publish, leaves much of the comparison impossible, because two of the three do not publish the necessary numbers. On payload, Airbus lists 37 tonnes for the A400M and says it is working to certify 40 tonnes, without giving a date. Embraer publishes 26 tonnes concentrated and 23 tonnes distributed for the KC-390, and Lockheed Martin lists 46,700 lb (21,183 kg) for the stretched C-130J-30, footnoted as assuming wing relieving fuel. The three figures rest on different definitions of maximum payload.
On speed, Embraer publishes a maximum cruise of 470 KTAS (Mach 0.80) for the KC-390, which has two IAE V2500-E5 turbofans of 31,330 lb thrust each. Lockheed publishes 365 KTAS for the four-engine turboprop C-130J-30 and Airbus publishes Mach 0.72 as the A400M's maximum. The gap of 105 knots amounts to roughly an hour and a half over a 1,500 nm leg.
On runway performance, only Embraer publishes a take-off field length with stated conditions: 1,524 m (5,000 ft) at a 23-tonne payload (balanced field length, sea level, ISA, 500 nm mission) and 1,165 m (3,820 ft) at 16 tonnes. Lockheed publishes a landing distance of 3,000 ft (914 m) at 135,000 lb but no take-off distance, service ceiling or cargo-compartment dimensions. Airbus says a 37-tonne payload can be delivered to a strip less than 750 m (2,460 ft) long, without stating surface, altitude or temperature, and its page gives two different low-level flight heights (150 ft and 500 ft).
On range, Embraer publishes 1,080 nm at 26 tonnes, 1,470 nm at 23 tonnes, 2,710 nm at 14 tonnes, a 3,370 nm ferry range and 4,570 nm with internal auxiliary tanks. Lockheed publishes 2,160 nm with 40,000 lb aboard and Airbus publishes 3,400 nm at 20 tonnes. The A400M also offers a 4 m by 4 m cargo cross-section, 340 m³ of hold volume and 116 paratroopers, against 64 for the KC-390; Lockheed does not publish a paratrooper figure. The RAF, which has decommissioned its Hercules fleet, cites a 30-tonne payload over 2,400 nm for the Atlas.
Unit prices are not comparable. The Greek deal works out to roughly €200 million per aircraft but includes support, training and spares. The UK Ministry of Defence told Parliament in December 2022 that total provision for acquiring the RAF's 22 A400Ms was £2.6 billion (about £118 million each), with an estimated whole-life cost of £7.2 billion. The US Air Force bought eight C-130Js for $828.0 million in FY2025 and eight for $1,478.1 million in FY2026 as enacted, a line that includes six aircraft added by Congress.
