Lithuania has suspended funding and, in practice, frozen its acquisition of the Brazilian Embraer C-390 Millennium military aircraft until an anti-corruption investigation affecting the purchase process is resolved.
The decision was confirmed by the Lithuanian Minister of Defense, who stressed that no contract would be signed without the completion of the investigation and without a clear source of funding, according to information from public broadcaster LRT.
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The investigation was carried out by the country’s main anti-corruption agency
The investigation was carried out by the Lithuanian Special Investigation Service (STT), the country’s most important anti-corruption agency. The STT opened preliminary proceedings to investigate procurement procedures for three C-390 units after members of the National Security and Defense Committee questioned the transparency and speed of the supplier selection process.
The purchase of the three aircraft has been announced in June 2025, after approval by the National Defense Council. At that time, Embraer officially confirmed the selection of the C-390 as the future transport platform of the Lithuanian Air Force.
Negotiations are ongoing and dependent on funding
Even before the suspension, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense had already said in September 2025 that the contract had not yet been signed and that negotiations were still ongoing — especially in the context of a joint purchase with the Netherlands, a country that also operates the C-390. The continuation of the project also depends on obtaining additional funding, including possible funding from the European Union.
Opposition lawmakers and some members of Parliament criticized the plan, arguing that Lithuania should prioritize modernizing its existing fleet of C-27J Spartans, instead of investing in new platforms. They also argued that resources should be diverted to more pressing areas, such as air defense, during the investigation period.
The suspension is political, not mandatory — and a deal could be back on the table
Although the existence of an investigation does not legally require the suspension of the procurement process, the Ministry of Defense emphasized that the decision was entirely political: no funds will be released until the STT completes its analysis. If the investigation does not reveal any violations and funding sources can be secured, Lithuania can continue with the project.
In initial plans, the first C-390 aircraft were scheduled to be delivered around mid-2028.
The suspension is a significant setback for Lithuania’s military aviation modernization program, which views the C-390 as a modern alternative with greater capacity to replace older aircraft and improve interoperability with European and NATO partners.
Source and image: Embraer | Militarnyi | LRT. This content is created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
