Group : Military Transport Aircrafts
Status : Active
Origin : Italy
Contractors : Alenia Aeronautica*, Lockheed Martin
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) : 2001
Total Production : 118
Unitary Cost : EUR €80 million

Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, announced that the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense selected the C-27J Spartan transport aircraft on 6 April 2005. The final agreement for five firm order C-27Js plus three options was signed on February 24, 2006. These aircraft were meant to replace Bulgaria's An-26 fleet. Aircraft deliveries were scheduled to start in 2007 through 2011 at a rate of one C-27J per year.

To date, the C-27J has been ordered by Italy, Greece and Bulgaria. It is suitable for midsize missions requiring less airlift capability than provided by a single Hercules. As of May 2005, the C-27J aircraft is candidate for the United States program Future Cargo Aircraft (FCA). The aircraft has been proposed and is under study by Canada, Portugal, Australia, Taiwan and Ireland.

On 26 June 2006, Alenia Aeronautica and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Lithuania signed a €75 million ($89 million) contract for the supply of three C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft. The first C-27J was scheduled for delivery in late 2006 with the second aircraft joining the Lithuanian Air Force in 2008 and the third in 2009. The Lithuanian Air Force requires the C-27J as modern replacement for their Soviet-made An-26 twin-engine transports.

Group : Gunship Aircrafts
Status : Active
Origin : Italy
Contractors : Alenia Aermacchi*, ATK Alliant Techsystems, L-3 Wescam
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) : 2016
First Flight : April 25, 2014
Total Production : ?

The MC-27J is a multi-mission, armed, Roll On/Roll Off (RORO) version of the C-27J Spartan airlifter jointly developed and marketed by Alenia Aermacchi and ATK. The new aircraft is suitable for a variety of missions including special operations carrying troops and vehicles, anti-terrorism, personnel evacuation from crisis areas, airborne command and control (C2) center, deployment of paratroopers, and gunship aircraft providing close air support (CAS) during ground operations. The MC-27J will be equipped with an array of sensors, including L-3 Wescam MX-15Di targeting pod, communications and weapons to execute all its missions being provided through palletized packages. The aircraft will be armed with the ATK GAU-23 30mm cannon to hit targets on the ground as well as other precision guided weapons including bombs, rockets and missiles. The MC-27J aircraft was unveiled at the Farnborough air show July 2012 in the United Kingdom (UK).

The MC-27J will be capable of taking off from and landing on short and/or unprepared strips while acting as an autonomous command and control centre integrated with the ground command network. The MC-27J will also provide Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability. ATK's gunship capability is provided from a newly developed palletized weapons system, which is self-contained, modular, scalable and provides RORO flexibility. This palletized system integrates sensors, communications and weapons into a responsive and reconfigurable mission package. Specific features for the MC-27J system include enhanced electro-optical/infrared targeting sensors, a trainable 30mm cannon, precision guided munitions, advanced communications and a networked mission management and fire control system.

Group : Maritime Patrol Aircrafts
Status : Active
Origin : Italy
Contractor : Leonardo
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) : 2017
Total Production : 14

The US Coast Guard (USCG) HC-27J is a medium-range patrol aircraft intended to serve as surveillance asset of the US coast against drug and illicit traffic interdiction, disaster response and Search and Rescue (SAR) missions. The USCG plans call for the procurement of 14 aircraft produced by Leonardo-Finmeccanica under the medium range maritime patrol and surveillance (MRSA) program. A further modification of the HC-27J, called C-27J FWSAR, is being offered to the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The HC-27J aircraft features weather radar, communications equipment and cockpit compatible with night vision goggle (NVG). The aircraft has been optimized to remain airborne for up to 12 hours. The USCG also intends to equip the aircraft with surface search radar end electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors, a C4ISR suite, a bubble observation window and Minotaur mission system. The aircraft will be capable of sending imagery and radar information to the Defense Department and Homeland Security in real time.