“For the first time in our history, we are buying an aircraft that can also be used as an aerial refuelling tanker.”
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias highlighted the operational significance of an agreement with Portugal to acquire three Embraer KC-390 Millennium aircraft, with options for three more.
The government-to-government agreement was signed at Greece’s Defence Ministry on Monday, November 2, in the presence of Dendias and Portuguese Defence Minister Nuno Melo.
The purchase opens a new phase in the renewal of Greece’s military transport fleet. It also introduces the prospect of a capability with particular importance for the Hellenic Air Force: refuelling compatible fighter aircraft in flight using a Greek-operated tanker.
First aircraft expected in 2027
According to the timetable reported by Greek public broadcaster ERT, the first KC-390 is expected to join the 112 Combat Wing at Elefsina from September 2027.
Embraer confirmed the acquisition of three aircraft, options for another three and a first delivery scheduled for 2027.
The distinction matters: the agreement covers three aircraft and the option to acquire three additional units. Exercising that option would require a further decision.
Dendias stressed the time elapsed since Greece’s previous transport aircraft purchase:
“We are buying a transport aircraft after 21–22 years.”
Transport fleet renewal and operational flexibility
The KC-390 is jet-powered, unlike the turboprop C-130s that form a core part of Greece’s existing military transport fleet.
The acquisition aims to strengthen the movement of personnel and equipment while expanding the armed forces’ support options.
Its tanker configuration adds another operational dimension. Aerial refuelling can extend the time compatible fighters remain airborne and provide greater flexibility in mission planning.
Turning that capability into operational readiness will depend on aircraft delivery, crew training, support arrangements and the necessary certifications.
Rafale, Mirage and the F-16 question
In his official remarks, Dendias described a phased approach to aerial refuelling, initially involving Rafale and Mirage aircraft, followed by F-16s, according to the timetable he outlined.
Thanking Portugal for its cooperation, he said:
“Thank you for agreeing to work together so that refuelling F-16 aircraft can also become possible.”
There is an important technical distinction. The KC-390’s established refuelling configuration uses a hose-and-drogue system, whereas F-16s require a rigid refuelling boom.
Embraer and Northrop Grumman have announced cooperation to develop a boom system for the KC-390.
F-16 refuelling should therefore be understood as an announced objective requiring the relevant technical development, integration and certification.
Dendias invokes the experience of Cyprus
The Greek minister also linked the importance of aerial refuelling to the events of 1974 in Cyprus.
He argued that, had Greece possessed comparable capabilities at the time, the course of operations might have been different, including the possibility of preventing the establishment of a Turkish bridgehead.
That was the minister’s counterfactual historical assessment. It illustrates the strategic importance he attaches to extending fighter endurance and reducing the need to return to base for fuel.
Training, drones and satellite cooperation
The partnership with Lisbon also covers support for bringing the aircraft into service.
Melo referred to pilot training in Portugal and the provision of necessary assistance, presenting the cooperation as broader than an aircraft sale.
The ministers also discussed technology exchanges, joint projects, unmanned aircraft and satellite applications.
For Athens, the agreement connects transport fleet renewal with a wider effort to expand operational capabilities and defence cooperation with Portugal.
As Dendias put it:
“For the first time in our history, we are buying an aircraft that can also be used as an aerial refuelling tanker.”
Source: pagenews.gr