First RAAF C-27J Touches Down

29 Juni 2015

A34-001 on approach to Richmond. (photo : Seth Jaworski)

The first of 10 Alenia C-27J Spartan tactical airlifters for the RAAF has touched down at its new home of RAAF Base Richmond.

The aircraft, A34-001, landed at Richmond at approximately 3:45 on Thursday afternoon at the end of the last leg of its delivery flight from prime contractor L-3’s Waco, Texas facility, where it departed on June 15.

A second C-27J, A34-002, is expected to be delivered to Richmond in August.

A34-001 had entered Alenia Aermacchi’s Turin assembly line in December 2012 and first flew on December 18 2013. It was ferried to L-3 in Waco in March 2014 for fitment of its ballistic protection matting, EW/self-protection systems, and communications suite. The RAAF then accepted the first two C-27J Spartans onto the Commonwealth register, and commenced training on the aircraft at L-3’s facility at Waco, last December.

The C-27Js are being acquired as battlefield airlifters to replace the capability lost with the retirement of the DHC-4 Caribou in 2009. Ultimately the C-27Js will be based at Amberley.

(Australian Aviation)