수송기 슬로바키아, C-390 밀레니엄 수송기 3기 발주 임박

[위종민]

엠브라에르가 화요일, 슬로바키아가 곧 C-390 밀레니엄 수송기 3기를 발주할 것이라고 밝혔네요. 

슬로바키아 공군의 수송기 전력은 L-410 경수송기 7대, C-27J 스파르탄 수송기 2대로 구성돼 있는데, 새로운 수송기는 이 두 기종을 둘 다 대체할 예정이네요. C-27J 스파르탄은 2017년에 도입됐습니다만, 이스라엘과 요르단, 레바논에서 임무를 수행할 때 작전 범위에 한계를 드러냈고 중앙아시아공화국이나 말리에 배치된 슬로바키아군을 지원할 수 없었다고 합니다. 

C-390은 페이로드 31,000파운드-항속거리 5,020km, C-27J는 페이로드 10,000파운드-5,056km입니다. MTOW 기준으로 86,999kg vs 32,500kg, V2500 터보팬(31,330lbf) 쌍발 vs AE2100 터보프롭(4,637마력) 쌍발이네요. 

Slovakia closing in on order for 3 C-390 transporters, says Embraer - Breaking Defense

Slovakia closing in on order for 3 C-390 transporters, says Embraer - Breaking Defense

Slovakia closing in on order for 3 C-390 transporters, says Embraer

Slovakian fixed wing air transport capabilities are currently covered by seven aging L-410 light and two Leonardo C-27J Spartan medium tactical lift platforms, but both are due to be cut from service under a new transport aviation replacement effort.

By   Tim Martinon December 11, 2024 at 9:31 AM

Embraer showed off its C-390 Millennium carrier during the 2024 Farnborough Airshow. (Breaking Defense)

BELFAST — Brazilian manufacturer Embraer said Tuesday that in the next month, Slovakia plans on making “steps toward” the acquisition of three C-390 Millennium tactical transport aircraft.

“The Slovak Ministry of Defense will start formal steps toward the purchase of three C-390s in January 2025,” Embraer said in a statement. The company added that Slovakian defense minister Robert Kaliňák has stated that the aircraft is the “best option” to fulfil the European country’s future military transport needs.

It also noted that the Slovak Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the Brazilian Ministry of Defense (MoD) signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) agreement focused on renewed industrial cooperation between the two countries.

The Slovak MoD website had not shared any information about the purported procurement, and the MoD did not respond to a request for comment by publication. But it would be extremely unusual for a company to make such a definitive statement without approval of its customer. 

The aircraft has been on a run of wins in Europe, with Sweden most recently selecting it. Additionally, Austria, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands have all placed orders, while Hungary and Portugal currently operate the platform. Given that Slovakia shares borders with Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic, Embraer noted that “neighbouring countries” could find “synergies in terms of training, logistics and cooperation in the future capabilities and growth of their fleets.”

RELATED: Embraer targets prime status in US defense market

Slovakian fixed wing air transport capabilities are currently covered by seven aging L-410 light and two Leonardo C-27J Spartan medium tactical lift platforms, but both are due to be cut from service under a new transport aviation replacement effort.

Documents relating to the project, released in November, show that Bratislava wants new aircraft introduced to manage threats posed by the Ukraine war and other international conflicts.

“The change of the security situation after 2020 and the ongoing armed conflicts also have a major impact on the performance of the tasks of the air transport aviation of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, including the requirements for their new capabilities,” reads an online translation of the documents.

They were shared with lawmakers as part of a motion, since approved, to make the transport aviation effort a “strategic investment” and shield it from scrutiny. Local media reported that the new status of the project protects it from assessment by Slovakia’s Value for Money department.

The documents also draw on concerns surrounding the operational utility of the C-27J, which looks set to be prematurely withdrawn from service after first starting operations in 2017. They state that C-27Js operated at “the limit of their operational range” when conducting missions in Israel, Jordan and Lebanon. Additionally, “due to their maximum operational range and on-board equipment” the two aircraft, “could not be deployed in support of the operations of the Armed Forces in Central Africa, where Slovak soldiers were deployed in the Central African Republic and Mali.”

As a third example, it was shared that “capacity limitations” of the tactical airlifters were identified and “current equipment” deemed “insufficient” during Afghanistan evacuation flights that took place in the aftermath of the humanitarian crisis following the Taliban’s 2021 return to power.

“These capability shortfalls have been repeatedly identified as critical in the conduct of evacuation flights from the area of military operations in Lebanon in 2024, where repeated transports have been conducted from Beirut airport with available aircraft that do not have self-protection systems and have a low transport capacity for that purpose,” add the documents.

Outside of the transport aviation recapitalization effort, Slovakia is one of nine NATO allies involved in the alliance’s Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS) program that entitles members to access fixed wing, excess cargo capabilities at short notice, by calling upon Antonov AN-124-100 aircraft.