Lithuania’s Defence Minister, Robertas Kaunas, said there is currently no additional funding available for the purchase of Brazilian Embraer transport aircraft, but expects a decision to be taken once an ongoing anti-corruption inquiry is completed.
Speaking to LRT television on Tuesday, Kaunas said: “At the moment I do not have clear funding sources to buy such aircraft. If we find them, then we can move the issue forward.”
“For now, I am leaving the Embraer question until after the SIS investigation,” he added, referring to the Special Investigation Service (SIS).
The SIS launched an inquiry into the planned acquisition of three Embraer C-390 transport aircraft in order “to clarify the doubts that have been raised and to answer questions about the transparency of defence procurement procedures”.
Former defence minister Dovilė Sakalienė has argued that the military requires new transport aircraft and that the intention was to use EU funding for the purchase.
Kaunas said he had heard similar assessments from military officials, but stressed that the government must first await the findings of the SIS probe before moving forward. “After that comes a cost–benefit analysis,” he noted.
The minister said the key dilemma was whether to acquire new aircraft or invest in upgrading Lithuania’s existing C-27J Spartan fleet.
“We have Spartans that must be modernised by 2030, at a cost of around 150 to 200 million euros. Their service life is approaching its end. So this needs to be weighed very carefully,” he said.
The exact cost of the Embraer aircraft has not yet been confirmed, but early estimates put the price at roughly 700 million euros.
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