Alenia C-27J Spartan
The Alenia C-27J Spartan is a military transport aircraft developed and manufactured by Leonardo's Aircraft Division (formerly Alenia Aermacchi until 2016). It is an advanced derivative of the former Alenia Aeronautica's earlier G.222 (C-27A Spartan in U.S. service), equipped with the engines and various other systems also used on the larger Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules. In addition to the standard transport configuration, specialized variants of the C-27J have been developed for maritime patrol, search and rescue, C3 ISR (command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), fire support/ground-attack and electronic warfare missions.
| C-27J Spartan | |
|---|---|
| An Italian Air Force C-27J Spartan | |
| Role | Military transport aircraft |
| National origin | Italy |
| Manufacturer | Alenia Aeronautica Alenia Aermacchi Leonardo |
| First flight | 24 September 1999 |
| Introduction | October 2006 (Italy) |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | Italian Air Force United States Coast Guard Royal Australian Air Force See Operators below for others |
| Produced | 1999–present |
| Number built | 117 as of 2022 |
| Developed from | Aeritalia G.222 |
In 2007, the C-27J was selected as the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) for the United States military; these were produced in an international teaming arrangement under which L-3 Communications served as the prime contractor. In 2012, the United States Air Force (USAF) elected to retire the C-27J after only a short service life due to budget cuts; they were later reassigned to the U.S. Coast Guard and United States Special Operations Command. The C-27J has also been ordered by the military air units of Australia, Bulgaria, Chad, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Zambia and an undisclosed country.