Leonardo has delivered to the Slovenian Ministry of Defence the first of two C-27J Next Generation aircraft, contracted following the Italy-Slovenia Government-to-Government (G2G) Agreement, which was signed on 17 November 2021. The aircraft it is equipped with advanced avionics equipped with a glass cockpit with five multifunction colour screens, a radar for tactical transport missions, communication systems, a satellite system, ballistic protection, and winglets which further increase its aerodynamic performance. Within the framework of the G2G Agreement between the two countries, Leonardo and the Air Armaments and Airworthiness Directorate of the Secretariat General of Defence / National Armaments Directorate have signed two contracts over the last two years, each of the contracts includes one aircraft plus logistics and training services.
The selection of the C-27J by the Slovenian Ministry of Defence fully meets a variety of operational needs in terms of transport and projection capabilities in international operations. This is in addition to supporting the national community for rescue, disaster relief, and fire-fighting duties. The Slovenian programme intends to use the C-27J in the new fire-fighting configuration, equipped with the latest generation MAFFS II (Modular Airborne Fire-Fighting System) palletized fire-fighting system from United Aeronautical Corporation, a world leader in aerial fire-fighting application systems. The system architecture of the C-27J Next Generation ensures a cost-effective solution for all the tactical operational requirements expressed by the market, ensuring, among other things, interoperability with other higher category transport aircraft. To meet operator needs, the aircraft’s modular architecture allows integration with in-flight refuelling, self-protection, secure communications and ballistic protection systems to operate in high-threat environments, transporting materials, light vehicles, and personnel.
Thanks to the versatility of the platform, the C-27J can in fact be rapidly reconfigured, by means of kits and roll-on/roll-off mission systems in the configuration necessary to carry out defence and civil protection missions, in line with emerging market demands. With over 90 units ordered to operate in the most challenging geographical, environmental, and operational contexts, Leonardo’s Spartan continues to grow in capacity and performance, thanks to its design and intrinsic versatility and is able to perform with maximum effectiveness and cost competitive military transport missions, airdrop of paratroopers and materials, tactical support to ground forces, special forces operations, Maritime Patrol (MP), Command-Control-Communications (C3), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconaissance (ISR) and for operations of humanitarian/aero-medical assistance and support to populations impacted by environmental disasters.
The C-27J Spartan is a military transport aircraft developed and manufactured by Leonardo’s Aircraft Division (formerly Alenia Aermacchi until 2016).[3] 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. 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.
