Five Embraer C-390M Millennium transport aircraft are to be acquired by the Netherlands to replace the four current Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) C-130H/C-130H-30 Super Hercules.
The surprise decision to order from the Brazilian manufacturer was announced by the Netherlands Ministry of Defence on June 16, when it was revealed by State Secretary Christophe van der Maat to the House of Representatives. The Ministry said that the first of the new transport aircraft should arrive in the Netherlands in 2026. The four current Hercules, comprising two C-130Hs and two stretched C-130H-30s, have reached the end of their lifespan. Initially it was the intention to continue flying with them until at least 2031, but the Ministry states that they are less and less often deployable due to defects. It was therefore decided to replace them in 2020.
