Alenia C-27J Spartan
Encyclopedia
The Alenia C-27J Spartan is a medium-sized military transport aircraft
. The C-27J is an advanced derivative of Alenia Aeronautica
's G.222 (C-27A Spartan in US service), with the engines and systems of the Lockheed Martin
C-130J Super Hercules
. The aircraft was selected as the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) for the United States military.
The C-27J has also been ordered by the militaries of Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, and Romania.
began discussions to improve Alenia's G.222 using C-130J's
glass cockpit
and a more powerful version of the G.222's T64G
engine and four-blade propellers. The companies began a program for the improved G.222, named C-27J in 1996. This was a US military type designation based on the G.222's C-27A US designation. Then the design was changed to use the C-130J Super Hercules's Rolls-Royce AE 2100
engine and six-blade propeller. Alenia and Lockheed Martin formed Lockheed Martin Alenia Tactical Transport Systems (LMATTS) for the development of C-27J in 1997. The C-27J has a 35% increase in range and a 15% faster cruise speed than the G.222.
The LMATTS joint venture was later dissolved when Lockheed Martin chose to offer the C-130J in 2006 as a contender in the same U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) competition in which the C-27J was competing. Alenia Aeronautica then paired with L-3 Communications
to form the Global Military Aircraft Systems (GMAS) joint venture to market the C-27J. Boeing later joined Alenia and L-3 Communications as a GMAS team member.
The GMAS team bid the C-27J in the Joint Cargo Aircraft competition against Raytheon and EADS North America's C-295
. Both the U.S. Army and Air Force JCA orders combined are expected to top 100 aircraft. The JCA will eventually replace the existing C-23 Sherpa
, C-12 Huron
and C-26 Metroliner
s in the Army National Guard
, and will become a substitute tactical airlift platform for those Air National Guard
airlift groups or airlift wings losing C-130E/H/J aircraft to retirement (C-130E) or Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) action redistribution of aircraft (C-130H/C-130J).
The C-27J had completed the U.S. Department of Defense
's Early User Survey evaluations by November 2006, flying 26 hours and surpassing all the JCA program requirements. The GMAS team also announced that the C-27J will be assembled at a facility at Cecil Field
, Duval County, Florida
. While the final selection of the JCA was expected to be announced in March 2007, the decision came on 13 June 2007, when the Pentagon selected the C-27J as its Joint Cargo Aircraft. A contract worth US$2.04 billion was awarded to the L-3 Communications team for 78 C-27Js along with training and support on 13 June 2007.
On 22 June 2007, Raytheon formally protested the award of the JCA contract to the Alenia C-27J. On 27 September 2007, the GAO announced that it had denied Raytheon’s protest, thereby allowing the Pentagon to go ahead with the C-27J procurement. Prior to Raytheon's protest, the first C-27J aircraft were to begin delivery to the joint US Army-Air Force test and training program in June 2008. The first flight of a US C-27J occurred on 17 June 2008.
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Romania
ordered seven C-27Js for delivery from 2008 to replace Antonov An-24
and Antonov An-26
aircraft, beating the EADS CASA C-295
. However, the order was blocked by the government in February 2007 upon a legal challenge filed by EADS. In June 2007, the order was confirmed again when the Romanian court rejected EADS' complaint. The Romanian government officially signed the contract for the delivery of seven C-27Js on 7 December 2007, with the first two Spartans delivered on 12 April 2010.
Orders stand at Italy (12), Greece (12), Bulgaria (3), Lithuania (3), Morocco (4), Romania (7), Mexico (4) and United States (38) as of 2011.
In March 2011, the Bulgarian Air Force received its last of three C-27Js ordered. Bulgaria had initially ordered five in 2006, but reduced its order in 2010.
The United States received its first C-27J on 25 September 2008. In September 2008, the C-27J Schoolhouse, operated by L-3 Link, officially began classes at the Georgia Army National Guard Flight Facility, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. By April 2009, the Army had accepted deliveries of two aircraft and had 11 more on order. A proposal in May 2009 that the US Army/Army National Guard relinquish all of its aircraft to the US Air Force, primarily the Air National Guard, with a reduction of the total buy to 38 aircraft, led the DoD to give total control of the US's C-27Js to the USAF in December. Although the inital plan was for the C-27J to be operated by the Air National Guard
for direct support of the United States Army
, that changed to both Army National Guard and Air National Guard flight crews supporting the fielding of the aircraft. The US Air National Guard had received four C-27Js by July 2010 and began using them for testing and training. Purchase of 38 Spartans is anticipated with initial operational capability expected in October 2010. The US Air Force had planned the C-27J's first combat deployment for summer 2011. As of late 2011, several aircraft are stationed at Kandahar
Air Field, Afghanistan
, flown by the Ohio National Guard.
The C-27J is a probable contender for a Royal Australian Air Force
requirement for light airlifter to replace its recently retired DHC-4 Caribou
.
The C-27J was being considered as a sole-source contract by the Government of Canada as a future replacement for its current search and rescue airfleet, the contract being worth approximately C$
3 billion as of January 2007.
The Indian Air Force
has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for 16 medium military transport aircraft. Alenia Aeronautica responded with information about the C-27J Spartan.
The Peruvian Air Force
is in evaluations to replace their Antonov An-32
, and the C-27J along with the EADS CASA C-295
are the contenders for the program acquisition.
It was announced on 21 August 2009 that Taiwan had entered price negotiations with Alenia Aeronautica for the sale of six C-27J Spartan aircraft. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Ghana of four C-27Js on 9 September 2009.
Indonesia is considering the purchase of the C-27J.
, to fulfill the requirements that AFSOC had defined under the AC-XX concept that it envisioned as a replacement for the aging and extensively used AC-130s. The AC-27J was to be equipped using proven hardware and systems to reduce risk. AFSOC planned to acquire 16 aircraft, the first in fiscal 2011, with two additional gunships to be purchased each year from 2012 to 2015.
The AC-27J was planned as a multi-mission platform, equipped with full-motion video cameras and capable of covert infil/exfil as well as armed support from above, armed with either a 30-millimeter or 40-millimeter gun and the stand-off, precision-guided munitions like the Northrop Grumman-built Viper Strike bomb.
At the Air Force Association's 2008 conference, it was reported that the AC-27J variant would be named "Stinger II" after the AC-119K Stinger
. C-27A 90-0170 (c/n 4097) was removed from storage at AMARC in October 2008 and delivered to Eglin AFB, Florida, for use by the Air Force Research Laboratory
to test the feasibility of mounting of 30 mm and 40 mm guns. The fully assembled airframe was at the Eglin main base by December 2008.
In May 2009, the program was put on hold because Army funding for 40 C-27s in an Army-Air Force cooperative purchase had been removed from the fiscal 2010 budget. Currently, Air Force Special Operations Command will remain with the C-130 for solutions to its stated need for gunships.
Military transport aircraft
Military transport aircraft are typically fixed and rotary wing cargo aircraft which are used to deliver troops, weapons and other military equipment by a variety of methods to any area of military operations around the surface of the planet, usually outside of the commercial flight routes in...
. The C-27J is an advanced derivative of Alenia Aeronautica
Alenia Aeronautica
Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, is a European aerospace company from Italy. Its subsidiaries include Alenia Aermacchi and Alenia Aeronavali...
's G.222 (C-27A Spartan in US service), with the engines and systems of the Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
C-130J Super Hercules
C-130J Super Hercules
The Lockheed Martin C-130J "Super" Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the venerable Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems. The Hercules family has the longest continuous production run of any...
. The aircraft was selected as the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) for the United States military.
The C-27J has also been ordered by the militaries of Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, and Romania.
Design and development
In 1995, Alenia and Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
began discussions to improve Alenia's G.222 using C-130J's
C-130J Super Hercules
The Lockheed Martin C-130J "Super" Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the venerable Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems. The Hercules family has the longest continuous production run of any...
glass cockpit
Glass cockpit
A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, as opposed to the traditional style of analog dials and gauges...
and a more powerful version of the G.222's T64G
General Electric T64
-External links:* *...
engine and four-blade propellers. The companies began a program for the improved G.222, named C-27J in 1996. This was a US military type designation based on the G.222's C-27A US designation. Then the design was changed to use the C-130J Super Hercules's Rolls-Royce AE 2100
Rolls-Royce AE 2100
|-See also:-External links:* * * *...
engine and six-blade propeller. Alenia and Lockheed Martin formed Lockheed Martin Alenia Tactical Transport Systems (LMATTS) for the development of C-27J in 1997. The C-27J has a 35% increase in range and a 15% faster cruise speed than the G.222.
The LMATTS joint venture was later dissolved when Lockheed Martin chose to offer the C-130J in 2006 as a contender in the same U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) competition in which the C-27J was competing. Alenia Aeronautica then paired with L-3 Communications
L-3 Communications
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. is a company that supplies command and control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and products, avionics, ocean products, training devices and services, instrumentation, space, and navigation products. Its customers include...
to form the Global Military Aircraft Systems (GMAS) joint venture to market the C-27J. Boeing later joined Alenia and L-3 Communications as a GMAS team member.
EADS CASA C-295
The EADS CASA C-295 is a twin-turboprop tactical military transport aircraft manufactured by Airbus Military in Spain.-Design and development:...
. Both the U.S. Army and Air Force JCA orders combined are expected to top 100 aircraft. The JCA will eventually replace the existing C-23 Sherpa
C-23 Sherpa
|-C-23B/C:-See also:-External links:*****...
, C-12 Huron
C-12 Huron
The C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps...
and C-26 Metroliner
C-26 Metroliner
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Donald, David, general editor. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X....
s in the Army National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
, and will become a substitute tactical airlift platform for those Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
airlift groups or airlift wings losing C-130E/H/J aircraft to retirement (C-130E) or Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
(BRAC) action redistribution of aircraft (C-130H/C-130J).
The C-27J had completed the U.S. Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
's Early User Survey evaluations by November 2006, flying 26 hours and surpassing all the JCA program requirements. The GMAS team also announced that the C-27J will be assembled at a facility at Cecil Field
Cecil Field
Cecil Airport is a public joint civil-military airport located in Jacksonville, a city in Duval County, Florida, United States. The airport is owned by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority and services military aircraft, corporate aircraft, general aviation, and air cargo. The Florida Army National...
, Duval County, Florida
Duval County, Florida
Duval County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 864,263. Its county seat is Jacksonville, with which the Duval County government has been consolidated since 1968...
. While the final selection of the JCA was expected to be announced in March 2007, the decision came on 13 June 2007, when the Pentagon selected the C-27J as its Joint Cargo Aircraft. A contract worth US$2.04 billion was awarded to the L-3 Communications team for 78 C-27Js along with training and support on 13 June 2007.
On 22 June 2007, Raytheon formally protested the award of the JCA contract to the Alenia C-27J. On 27 September 2007, the GAO announced that it had denied Raytheon’s protest, thereby allowing the Pentagon to go ahead with the C-27J procurement. Prior to Raytheon's protest, the first C-27J aircraft were to begin delivery to the joint US Army-Air Force test and training program in June 2008. The first flight of a US C-27J occurred on 17 June 2008.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
ordered seven C-27Js for delivery from 2008 to replace Antonov An-24
Antonov An-24
The Antonov An-24 is a 44-seat twin turboprop transport designed and manufactured in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau from 1957.-Design and development:...
and Antonov An-26
Antonov An-26
The Antonov An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.-Development:...
aircraft, beating the EADS CASA C-295
EADS CASA C-295
The EADS CASA C-295 is a twin-turboprop tactical military transport aircraft manufactured by Airbus Military in Spain.-Design and development:...
. However, the order was blocked by the government in February 2007 upon a legal challenge filed by EADS. In June 2007, the order was confirmed again when the Romanian court rejected EADS' complaint. The Romanian government officially signed the contract for the delivery of seven C-27Js on 7 December 2007, with the first two Spartans delivered on 12 April 2010.
Orders stand at Italy (12), Greece (12), Bulgaria (3), Lithuania (3), Morocco (4), Romania (7), Mexico (4) and United States (38) as of 2011.
Operational history
Italy received its first C-27J in October 2006. The Italian Air Force deployed two C-27Js to Afghanistan from 12 September 2008 to 27 January 2009 in support NATO airlift operations.In March 2011, the Bulgarian Air Force received its last of three C-27Js ordered. Bulgaria had initially ordered five in 2006, but reduced its order in 2010.
The United States received its first C-27J on 25 September 2008. In September 2008, the C-27J Schoolhouse, operated by L-3 Link, officially began classes at the Georgia Army National Guard Flight Facility, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. By April 2009, the Army had accepted deliveries of two aircraft and had 11 more on order. A proposal in May 2009 that the US Army/Army National Guard relinquish all of its aircraft to the US Air Force, primarily the Air National Guard, with a reduction of the total buy to 38 aircraft, led the DoD to give total control of the US's C-27Js to the USAF in December. Although the inital plan was for the C-27J to be operated by the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
for direct support of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, that changed to both Army National Guard and Air National Guard flight crews supporting the fielding of the aircraft. The US Air National Guard had received four C-27Js by July 2010 and began using them for testing and training. Purchase of 38 Spartans is anticipated with initial operational capability expected in October 2010. The US Air Force had planned the C-27J's first combat deployment for summer 2011. As of late 2011, several aircraft are stationed at Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
Air Field, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, flown by the Ohio National Guard.
Possible sales
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
requirement for light airlifter to replace its recently retired DHC-4 Caribou
De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou
The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou is a Canadian-designed and produced specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing capability...
.
The C-27J was being considered as a sole-source contract by the Government of Canada as a future replacement for its current search and rescue airfleet, the contract being worth approximately C$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
3 billion as of January 2007.
The Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for 16 medium military transport aircraft. Alenia Aeronautica responded with information about the C-27J Spartan.
The Peruvian Air Force
Peruvian Air Force
The Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...
is in evaluations to replace their Antonov An-32
Antonov An-32
The Antonov An-32 is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft.-Design and development:The An-32 is basically a re-engined An-26. The launch customer was the Indian Air Force, which ordered this aircraft partly due to good relations between then USSR leader Leonid Brezhnev and then...
, and the C-27J along with the EADS CASA C-295
EADS CASA C-295
The EADS CASA C-295 is a twin-turboprop tactical military transport aircraft manufactured by Airbus Military in Spain.-Design and development:...
are the contenders for the program acquisition.
It was announced on 21 August 2009 that Taiwan had entered price negotiations with Alenia Aeronautica for the sale of six C-27J Spartan aircraft. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Ghana of four C-27Js on 9 September 2009.
Indonesia is considering the purchase of the C-27J.
AC-27J Stinger II
The AC-27J was a proposed gunship version of the C-27J. The US Air Force shifted US$32 million from the Pentagon's 2008 budget to purchase a C-27J for the Air Force Special Operations CommandAir Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command is the Special Operations component of the United States Air Force and the US Air Force component command to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida...
, to fulfill the requirements that AFSOC had defined under the AC-XX concept that it envisioned as a replacement for the aging and extensively used AC-130s. The AC-27J was to be equipped using proven hardware and systems to reduce risk. AFSOC planned to acquire 16 aircraft, the first in fiscal 2011, with two additional gunships to be purchased each year from 2012 to 2015.
The AC-27J was planned as a multi-mission platform, equipped with full-motion video cameras and capable of covert infil/exfil as well as armed support from above, armed with either a 30-millimeter or 40-millimeter gun and the stand-off, precision-guided munitions like the Northrop Grumman-built Viper Strike bomb.
At the Air Force Association's 2008 conference, it was reported that the AC-27J variant would be named "Stinger II" after the AC-119K Stinger
Fairchild AC-119
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Hobson, Chris. "Vietnam Air Losses, USAF/USN/USMC, Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973." North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2001. ISBN 1-85780-1156....
. C-27A 90-0170 (c/n 4097) was removed from storage at AMARC in October 2008 and delivered to Eglin AFB, Florida, for use by the Air Force Research Laboratory
Air Force Research Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable aerospace warfighting technologies; planning and executing the Air Force science and...
to test the feasibility of mounting of 30 mm and 40 mm guns. The fully assembled airframe was at the Eglin main base by December 2008.
In May 2009, the program was put on hold because Army funding for 40 C-27s in an Army-Air Force cooperative purchase had been removed from the fiscal 2010 budget. Currently, Air Force Special Operations Command will remain with the C-130 for solutions to its stated need for gunships.
Operators
- Bulgarian Air ForceBulgarian Air ForceThe Bulgarian Air Force is a branch of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and protect the sovereignty of Bulgarian airspace, to provide aerial support and to assist the Land Forces in case of war. The Bulgarian Air...
has received all three aircraft ordered by March 2011.
- Hellenic Air ForceHellenic Air ForceThe Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated to HAF is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the...
: 12 aircraft ordered, eight received.
- Italian Air ForceItalian Air ForceThe Italian Air Force has gone under different names in different periods:*Regia Aeronautica , from 1923 to June 1946*Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the air force of Italian Social Republic during World War II...
: 12 aircraft on order, full optional (Digital Map, HUD, Aerial Refueling Probes), 12 received.
- Lithuanian Air Force: three aircraft received as of October 2009.
- Royal Moroccan Air ForceRoyal Moroccan Air ForceThe Royal Moroccan Air Force is the air force branch of the Moroccan Armed Forces.-History:...
: four aircraft ordered, three received.
- Mexican Air ForceMexican Air ForceThe Mexican Air Force is the aviation branch of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat . Since 2008, its commander is Gen...
: An order for four C-27Js was signed on 6 July 2011. One received as of November 2011.
- Romanian Air ForceRomanian Air ForceThe Romanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade...
: seven aircraft ordered with two in operation as of April 2010, and the remaining aircraft are to be delivered through 2012.
- Slovak Air ForceSlovak Air ForceThe Slovak Air Force, known since 2002 as the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic , is the aviation and air defense branch of the Slovak Armed Forces. Operating 70 aircraft from 3 major bases - Kuchyňa, Sliač, Prešov...
has selected the C-27J and is negotiating an order for at least two aircraft.
- United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
: requirement for up to 75 aircraft in the Army National GuardArmy National GuardEstablished under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
. Two aircraft were received by April 2009. - United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
: requirement for up to 70 aircraft in the Air Force Special Operations CommandAir Force Special Operations CommandAir Force Special Operations Command is the Special Operations component of the United States Air Force and the US Air Force component command to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida...
and the Air National GuardAir National GuardThe Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
. In 2009, the US Air Force was given total control of the US's C-27Js. The requirement is currently limited to 38 aircraft. The US Air National Guard has received four C-27Js.
Specifications (C-27J)
See also
External links
- Alenia C-27J site
- GMAS C-27J site for JCA Program
- Alenia Canadian C-27J site
- "Spartan In Name Only" LM Code One Magazine
- "Frontline warrior: The Alenia Aeronautica C-27 Spartan ", Flight International
- European Aviation Safety Agency - Type Certificate Data Sheet C-27J
- Greek C-27J Spartan
- Flight Test: C-27J - No small measure. Flight International, 24 August 2004.
- "C-27J Derivatives Emerge". Aviation Week, 23 October 2007.