Slovenia orders additional Spartan airlifter
Slovenia has ordered an additional C-27J Spartan airlifter, with both to be in service by the end of 2024. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
Slovenia has acquired a second C-27J Spartan transport aircraft, with the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) announcing on 19 September that an amendment to the original November 2021 procurement contract for a single airlifter had been signed.
The amendment was signed by the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, Marjan Šarec, and the Minister of Defence of Italy, Guido Crosetto.
According to the announcement, the EUR48.85 million (USD52.05 million) amendment will see the second airlifter delivered in the same configuration as the first. The total cost of the Spartan procurement is EUR128.91 million, excluding value-added tax (VAT).
With the first Spartan built and awaiting delivery to Slovenia in December, the second aircraft is expected to be handed over in December 2024. The Slovenian 15th Aviation Wing (15th Polk Vojaskega Letalstva: 15th PVL) component of the joint Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) will field the type.
Slovenia's decision to acquire the C-27J followed an assessment by the country's government that the Covid-19 pandemic had exposed a lack of national airlift capacity and capability. The new C-27Js will be used for troop transport for combat and humanitarian tasks, medical evacuation, and personnel recovery.
The standard Spartan has an 11 tonne payload and a 3,070 n mile (5,685 km; 3,532 mile) ferry range. Leonardo recently revealed the C-27J Next Generation (NG), which includes new cockpit displays, weather radar, modern navigation, and communications equipment, as well as “advanced aerodynamic features”, as described by Leonardo.
