Country of origin:

Italy

Description:

Military transport

Power Plant:

Two 3,460 kw (4,640 shp) Rolls Royce (Allison) AE-2100D2A turboprops

Specifications:

History:

In 1962 the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) issued a specification for a V/STOL transport but at that stage no contract was awarded. However, the Italian Air Force ordered two prototypes plus a ground-test airframe in 1968 from the Italian manufacturer, Fiat Aviazione, the prototype flying for the first time on 18 July 1970. A contract was entered into with Aeritalia, of which Fiat Aviazione had become part, the first of these aircraft, known as the G.222, entering service in April 1978.

In 1990 the type was selected by the US Air Force as a ‘Rapid-response Intra-Theater Airlifter’ and it became known as the C-27 Spartan, ten being obtained. These aircraft were stationed at Howard Air Force Base in Panama in Central America. However, due to high maintenance costs they were withdrawn in 1999 and flown to Davis Monthan Airbase in Arizona, being put into storage.

The type was also purchased by the Air Forces of Argentina, Venezuela, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Nigeria and Somalia. Twenty were donated by the US in June 2009 to Argentina. The G.222 was one of the few cargo aircraft capable of flying loops and other stunt manoeuvres.

The development of the type saw the C-27J marketed as a rugged tactical airlifter to complement the Lockheed C-130J Hercules with an emphasis on common systems such as cockpit displays, avionics and engines. It had a glass cockpit installed by Honeywell, a new avionics system, a re-designed undercarriage and a new APU. Development of the C-27J was shared between Alenia and Lockheed Martin, a joint venture company known as Lockheed Martin Alenia Tactical Transport Systems being formed. Lockheed Martin was responsible for propulsion and avionics and was involved with product support and worldwide marketing; whereas Alenia carried out the certification process, manufactured the aircraft and carried out flight testing.

The first Alenia C-27J Spartan (NC4043, I-CERX) rolled out on 14 June 1999 at Caselle in Campania, Italy and flew on 24 September 1999, being followed by the second aircraft (NC4115, I-FBAX) flying on 12 May 2000. The third aircraft (NC4033, MM62127) flew on 8 September 2000. Certification by the Italian RAI to civil JAR 25 standards was received in June 2001 and military certification was received on 20 December that year. First deliveries were to the 46th Aerobrigata at Pisa in October 2006.

In February 2002 a C-27J commenced a demonstration tour in the Middle East and Asia. An example of the C-27J (RS-03) visited the Australian International Air Show at Avalon for demonstrations to Australian authorities in March 2011. A demonstration tour was also made in the United States where, on 13 June 2007, the type won the Joint Cargo Aircraft Competition, with the US Armed Forces planning to purchase 145 aircraft, 75 for the Army and 70 for the Air Force. This was expected to increase in time to 207 aircraft.

The Spartan was able to carry up to 62 fully equipped troops, 46 equipped paratroops, or up to 36 NATO standard litters and six medical attendants. In the cargo role it was able to carry palettes, containers and loads like helicopters and vehicles. For example, the load could include three howitzers, or HMMWV and AML-90 vehicles, or an M-101 with howitzer.

Power plant was the Rolls Royce AE-2100D2A turboprop as fitted to the Lockheed C-130J Hercules driving 4.15 m (13 ft 7 in) all composite six-blade Dowty R-391/6-132-F/10 propellers. Cargo handling commonality with the Lockheed C-130 was a strong marketing point, and the type’s ability to accommodate pallets loaded at up to 5,000 kg (11,023 lb) allowed rapid transfer of loads between aircraft.

In later years the type was offered to Australia, Canada, The Czech Republic, India, Ireland, Malaysia, Slovenia and Taiwan. In this regard such nations were offered industrial participation in the project or on other Finmeccanica Group productions, such as the M-346 advanced jet trainer, the ATR family of regional airliners, and special mission aircraft, as well as sub-contract opportunities in the production of the Lockheed Martin C-130J and Boeing 787 airliner.

Following the retirement of the RAAF de Havilland DHC-4 Caribou the Australian Defence Force made a decision on a replacement program, known as Air 8000 Phase 2, this involving the initial procurement of 10 battlefield airlifters. To this end an order was placed for ten C-27J aircraft with associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support, 23 engines, an operational flight simulator, and fuselage and maintenance trainers, the prime contractor for the program being L-3 Integrated Systems of Waco in Texas. Service entry for the new type was expected to be in 2014.

The Australian Government announced the new aircraft would be based at Richmond, NSW and would form the equipment of the new No 35 Squadron, which had been disbanded in 1999 when Caribou operations were consolidated. The Squadron would be under the command of No 84 Wing. It was said the C-27J could access nearly four times the number of airfields that the C-130J could in Australia and be able to operate into softer or unprepared airfields. Much of the aircraft work was expected to take place in northern Australia, and in areas such as Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and East Timor.

Initial training of personnel for No 35 Squadron on the C-27J commenced in mid-2013 at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, USA. The first C-27J for the RAAF was ceremoniously rolled out at the manufacturer’s L-3 facility in Waco on 27 July 2014. The first three aircraft were delivered to Robins for training from mid-2014, deliveries to Australia commencing in early 2015. In September 2014 the RAAF announced No 35 Squadron with its C-27Js would be operating the aircraft from RAAF Base Amberley, QLD.

A training system, including simulators, was to be acquired but this was not expected to be delivered until 2017. Initial operational capability was to occur in late 2016 with full operations in 2017. The aircraft were completed and flown at the Alenia facility in Italy before being flown to Waco for fitting out and painting. The aircraft were to be initially based at RAAF Richmond, where hangar space and infra-structure became available following the retirement of the Lockheed C-130H. The commonality of systems with the C-130J with No 37 Squadron at Richmond was considered in choosing the home base. Whereas the C-130J operated the Rolls Royce AE 2011D3 engine, the C-27 had the AE 2100D2A and, although they were similar, they were not interchangeable, and the propellers were somewhat different.

The first C-27 (A34-001) arrived at the RAAF Base at Richmond in late June 2015 to a welcoming ceremony and was joined in due course by the other aircraft ordered (A34-002 to A34-010), the Squadron remaining at Richmond for two years until it moved to RAAF Amberley after completion of deliveries. The fifth aircraft arrived at RAAF Richmond on 6 December 2016.

In January 2016 it was announced that the acquisition of the ten Spartan aircraft was running almost two years late. According to the Australian National Audit Office the delivery of the last six had been delayed between 20 and 24 months. It was said the delay was because the manufacturing process had been moved from Naples to Turin in Italy. The third aircraft was delayed nine months due to damage to a life raft door during an acceptance flight. At that time the manufacturer announced a name change to Leonardo Aircraft.

On 15 May 2016 an RAAF C-27J (A34-004) suffered a double tyre blow out whilst conducting touch and go pilot training at the Waco Regional Airport in Texas, USA, causing the runway to be closed and forcing the cancellation of a number of civil flights into and out of the airport. The aircraft was repaired and arrived at RAAF Richmond on 30 March 2017.

No 35 Squadron at RAAF Richmond achieved initial operating capability on 16 December 2016, the Defence Minister stating that the Spartan could access airfields that were unable to support larger transport aircraft. Aircraft could be tasked on missions to transport 40 troops or three military pallets of cargo, as well as fulfilling roles such as light equipment airdrop. At that time four of the aircraft on order had been received at Richmond, the fourth aircraft A34-005 landing in Australia, after its delivery, on 7 December 2016. The last of the ten aircraft arrived at RAAF Richmond on 18 April 2018.

One example (A34-005) was deployed to the northern part of the South Island of New Zealand from 20 to 24 October 2017 for the NZDF’s biennial multinational Exercise Southern Katipo. This exercise was to evaluate the ability of the NZDF to plan and conduct joint operations involving a range of naval and air assets, and involved military personnel from Australia, Canada, Chile, Fiji, New Caledonia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Tonga, Timor Leste, the UK and the USA.

Final operational capability was expected to occur in December 2017 to coincide with the relocation of No 35 Squadron to Amberley where the RAAF’s Air Mobility Group comprising Boeing C-17s and Airbus KC-30s were based. By late 2017 the Spartan was operating in a number of areas. One, along with 44 personnel from No 35 Squadron, went to New Caledonia where it participated in ‘Exercise Mhanuu 2017′, this involving airdropping of aid and personnel, evacuating people from remote airstrips and conducting aeromedical evacuations. The exercises involved rehearsing regional humanitarian assistance and disaster relief scenarios.

In mid 2021 the Department of Defence redefined the role of the C-27 battlefield airlifter, designating them as humanitarian response aircraft due to long running problems that make them unsafe to use in war zones; and that they would only be used for disaster relief or crisis response aircraft and regional engagement missions. At that time the C-27s had achieved only 35 per cent flying hours over the previous five years of service.

On 19 October 2021 No 35 Squadron RAAF  showed its readiness ”to deliver airlift support during contingency operations” when it launched seven of the ten Spartans based at Amberley, QLD in what was called an ”elecphant walk” and the ”march of the Spartans”, the Squadron having relocated from RAAF Richmond, NSW to RAAF Amberley in early 2019.

In late 2021 C-27sJs were involved in delivering urgent supplies to Coober Pedy and Prominent Hill airfields from RAAF Edinburgh in support of the  South Australian government emergency services.  Parts of South Australia were cut off after weeks of significant rainfall which disrupted supply chains.