Leonardo and the Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness (Armaereo) of the Ministry of Defense have signed a contract for an important step in upgrading the C-27J Spartan fleet used by the Italian Air Force.
Thanks to this contract, the C-27J of the Air Force will receive a significant update of the avionics suite - based on the integration of new equipment, such as the Mission Computer, the Flight Management System, the Head Up and Head Down Displays, the radio and satellite - of the self-protection system and other updates that allow to further improve the flexibility and operability of the aircraft. The training system will also be updated accordingly both in terms of training devices (simulator update) and courseware (didactic material) and related technical publications. The contract provides for the upgrade of the flagship aircraft, which could be followed by the retrofit of the remaining 11 aircraft.
Dario Marfè, Head of Sales and Customer Support Services of Leonardo's Aircraft Division commented as follows: “The latest evolution of the C-27J further enhances the Spartan's capability and operational effectiveness. We are proud that the Air Force has chosen the new C-27J avionics configuration, which will ensure even better performance and efficiency. Focusing on mission versatility and flexibility, the C-27J offers an increasingly broad spectrum of capabilities capable of supporting the new challenges of operators".
The Spartan reflects well the very essence of the concept of national security, proving to be one of the best assets for supporting the operations of the defense forces and for their fundamental contribution to civil protection tasks being an aircraft capable of reaching the population in areas more impervious and remote.
In addition to the Italian Air Force, Australia, Romania and the US operators of the Spartan, US SOCOM and the US Coast Guard, have also chosen the upgrade of the C-27J, an aircraft in continuous evolution capable of carrying out multiple missions in the contexts more challenging operations.
Thanks to multiple kits and roll-on/roll-off mission systems that are easily installed and transportable, the C-27J can be quickly transformed into the configuration necessary for carrying out the operational mission.
As a tactical airlifter, the aircraft's broad versatility extends from tactical transport of troops and cargo, airdrop of paratroopers and materiel, battlefield medical evacuation to VIP transport, humanitarian assistance and emergency support. from natural disasters to firefighting operations. The C-27J can be configured in MPA (Maritime Patrol), ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) and C3ISR (Command-Control-Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) versions.
The aircraft can be equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) search radars, electro-optical/infrared systems, and other specific sensors, essential for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance), maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and SIGINT missions (Signals Intelligence), support to Special Forces and ground troops. The sensors that equip the aircraft can be managed through a rapidly removable palletized mission system, which analyzes the collected data and transfers them to the crew in real time.
The Fire Fighter configuration is equipped with the second generation MAFFS II (Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System) palletized fire fighting system from United Aeronautical Corporation, the world leader in advanced airborne application systems.
