In this article:
Three Embraer C-390 airlifters for Slovak Air Force
Since Slovak Air Force is due to lack of serviceable aircraft and their logistical support, the service is looking to replacing its C-27js used since 2016. In fact Minister of Defense of Slovakia Robert Kaliňák recently signed a Letter of Intent with the Brazilian Ministry of Defense to start formal steps toward the purchase of three C-390s in January 2025. With this order the European planned fleet of C-390s has been enlarged by another customer.
In November’s document “Transformation of the Transport Aviation of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic” the Ministry of Defense declared its ambition to fully replace the current fleet of nine transport aircraft of the Slovak Air Force. The reason behind the step is the unsatisfactory status of the aircraft of the 46th Transport Wing (seven L-410s and two C-27Js), which can’t fully serve their long-distance transport missions. The unsatisfactory situation within the Transport Wing was confirmed by Kaliňák himself, who stated that when he visited the Kuchyňa AB (homebase of the 46th Transport Wing) “… from nine aircraft there was only one in service.” As the outcome of the document, Slovakia should obtain three new transport aircraft for longer distances and two transport aircraft for short distances.
Unsatisfactory status of the Slovak Air Force Transport Wing
The two C-27J Spartans, which serve for long-distance flights, entered service within the Slovak Air Force relatively recently. These aircraft first flew under the ‘Slovak colors’ in 2017 and 2018 after being acquired in 2014, thus serving within the Slovak Air Force only 6-7 years. The Spartans replaced former Soviet Antonov 24s and 26s, which were withdrawn from service in 2016. The two Spartans were used to carry on all the long-distance flight missions. One aircraft was seriously damaged during a storm in Georgia in 2022, with several sources claiming that in October this year it took the first flight after the accident. Slovakia also used a lone Antonov An-12 in the first half of the 1990s as it was the only heavy transport aircraft in the country’s Air Force; the aircraft was later sold to Moldova (and then to Angola).
Given that the C-27 aircraft were flying all the long-distance missions and flights, their daily availability was dropping rapidly. While one of the Spartans was unserviceable because of the aforementioned accident, the other was in ongoing maintenance on several occasions as well, thus making transport missions impossible. Problematic was also the situation with spare parts and necessary logistics.
All the needed modernizations and work for C-27Js to continue the service would cost around 266 million euros – which is significantly higher than a price for a brand-new aircraft. According to the modernization document the first five years of the operational service of the aircraft cost around 21 million euros.
L410 Turbolets
The Ministry of Defense claims in the document that the Spartans will be withdrawn from service after the arrival of the brand-new C-390 aircraft – with the possibility of selling the two C-27Js to other nations being discussed. Most likely, the three C-390s will arrive in Slovakia in the next 2-3 years.
The second type of aircraft serving within the Transport Wing is the Czechoslovak L410 Turbolet. This relatively small two-engine transport aircraft has been in service within the Slovak Air Force since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, with few newer aircraft being obtained more than 10 years ago. Seven aircraft of this type are currently serving for shorter-distance flights and personnel training. After the KC-390 arrival, 2-3 L410s will remain in service, with the rest of the aircraft being withdrawn (and probably used for spare parts). Noteworthy, to keep all of the L-410s in service 5,8 million euro would be needed for their modernization.
During his recent visit to Brazil, Kaliňák acknowledged that the Embraer C-390 is the option that better fits Slovakia’s future military transport requirements. The aircraft was already demonstrated in Slovakia already one year ago, as an agreement of cooperation between Slovakia and Brazil was signed during that time. It has also been mentioned the importance of the neighboring countries that have already acquired the C-390, enabling synergies in terms of training, logistics and cooperation in the future capabilities and growth of their fleets.
New C-390 customer
The only type of aircraft which fits the attributes requested by the Slovak Ministry of Defense for long-range flights (two-engine jet-powered aircraft) is Brazilian-made Embraer C-390. The aircraft was demonstrated in Slovakia already one year ago, as an agreement of cooperation between Slovakia and Brazil was signed during that time. Also, other European countries selected the C-390: the aircraft in fact is already in operation with Portugal and Hungary and has already been ordered by the Netherlands, Austria and Czech Republic, in addition to Sweden, which has recently chosen the aircraft. This will make the logistical background for operating the aircraft easier. So far it is uncertain which modification will feature Slovakian C-390s. It is questionable if the tanker variant of the C-390 will be obtained as well.
First memorandum was signed on Dec. 10, 2024 in Brazil. With this document Slovakia announced its intention to acquire three C-390s. The price has not been set yet, as the acquisition process will begin in January next year. One of the pros of the acquisition is the time-span of deliveries, which in the case of C-390 lasts only one year. Thus, Slovak Spartans might be replaced by the new C-390s relatively soon.
Even though it is not certain, Kaliňák believes that Brazil might be interested in obtaining Slovak self-propelled howitzers (either EVA M2 or Zuzana 2, already serving within Slovak and Ukrainian Armed Forces), which are part of competition for the new self-propelled howitzer for the Brazilian Army. The Minister hopes that potential purchase would lower down the price of the Brazilian aircraft for the Slovak Air Force.
Bizjets
Unlike most of the nations (and almost all NATO allies), Slovakia is not operating their government flight within the Slovak Air Force (or within the Ministry of Defense jurisdiction), but within the Ministry of Interior. This situation proved to be problematic during the evacuation from Afghanistan, where civilian aircraft (thus the Government Flight as well) couldn’t participate in the operation and the Slovak Air Force had to use its C-27J Spartan for the long-distance flight. Even though plans for moving the Government Flight under the Slovak Air Force exist, they have not been carried out yet. Currently, the Slovak Government Flight has been using two Airbus A319s (since 2016 and 2017) and two Fokker 100s (which entered service in 2016 and 2017 too).
Lack of aircraft suitable for similar short-distance operations is going to be fixed by the plan to acquire two bizjets aircraft, which would replace aging Fokker 100s, currently used by the Government Flight. The new aircraft would not just replace Fokkers, but would also serve within the Slovak Air Force, filling the existing gap in the mentioned problem. Even though the exact type of aircraft which will be acquired has not been specified yet, several sources claim that probably Global 5000, produced by Bombardier, might be used for this role.
Broader Slovak Air Force modernization
This claim was supported by the Minister of Defense himself, who stated that “… [Global aircraft] is probably the most common aircraft in military squadrons that is designed for such tasks, that is, either for individual removal or evacuation, for transporting patients who are in critical condition.” A scenario in which already used Bombardiers would be bought (thus making the price significantly lower) has not been ruled out – as already used A319s and Fokker 100s were acquired by Slovakia.
Acquisition of new transport aircraft is part of the broader Slovak Air Force modernization. Slovakia is currently awaiting delivery of other F-16 Block 70s, with potential of four more aircraft being ordered. The rotary wing fleet might grow as well by either AH-1Z Vipers (previously built for Pakistan) or used UH-60 Blackhawks, thus enlarging the already existing Blackhawks fleet. At last, training aircraft are also awaiting their replacement – with jet aircraft (such as Czech L-39NG Skyfox or Korean FA-50) or propelled-engine aircraft
Sources:
- Transformation of the Transport Aviation of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (MoD document)
- Armadni Noviny
- CZ Defence
