Spartan in service

Air National Guard C-27J ops

Earlier this year, a ministerial statement announced Australia’s decision to acquire ten Alenia C-27J Spartans to meet Air Force’s AIR 8000 Phase 2 Battlefield Airlifter (BFA) requirement.

The C-27J is a substantial upgrade of Alenia’s G.222, and was was developed by Lockheed Martin Alenia Tactical Transport Systems, a US company jointly owned by Lockheed Martin and Italy’s Alenia. The C-27J was adopted by the US Army as its preferred Joint Cargo Aircraft, to be used as an intra-theatre, tactical airlifter and providing critical logistical support ‘over the last mile’.