The aircraft will receive an extensive upgrade to the avionic suite, onboard systems and self-protection suite.
Leonardo and Armaereo, the Italian Defence Ministry’s Air Force Armament and Airworthiness Directorate, have signed a contract to begin the development activities for the upgrade of the Italian Air Force’s C-27J Spartan fleet. The Spartan has been in service in Italy since 2006, with 12 aircraft based at Pisa-San Giusto airport which last year reached the milestone of 50,000 flight hours.
The contract includes the development, integration, qualification and certification of a new avionics configuration for the C-27J, the upgrade of a number of general systems on the aircraft, the self-protection system and the flight simulator. The delivery of the first aircraft in the upgraded configuration will potentially be followed by the retrofit of the remaining 11 aircraft in service with the Aeronautica Militare.
“The latest evolution of the C-27J further improves the Spartan’s efficacy and operational capability. We’re proud to announce that the Italian Air Force has chosen the new avionic configuration of the C-27J, which will provide even better performance and efficiency,” said Dario Marfè, Senior Vice President Commercial and Customer Services of Leonardo, Aircraft Division. “With its versatility and mission flexibility, the C-27J offers an even broader range of capabilities to support the operators in facing new challenges.”
According to Leonardo, the C-27J will receive a significant upgrade of its avionic suite through the integration of new features such as the Mission Computer, the Flight Management System, Head Up and Head Down displays, radio and satellite communication systems, self-protection system and other… Source theaviationist.com
