Australia just bought a fleet of these:

Posted on June 30, 2015 by KG

c27j_spartan ‘..Currently a gunship version of the C-27J Spartan is being actively discussed due to the high maneuverability of this aircraft. It should be noted, that it is the only aircraft in its class, that can reach 3g doing tight turns, fast climbs and descends. Another important feature of this aircraft is that it needs only 300 m long runway in order to land and 500 m to take off with maximum load…’
They’re a brilliant airplane and exactly what the Army needs. Great for disaster relief work, too.

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24 Responses to Australia just bought a fleet of these:

  1. Jamie says:
    June 30, 2015 at 17:51

    General characteristics

    Crew: Minimum two: pilot, co-pilot, (plus loadmaster when needed)
    Capacity: 60 troops or 46 paratroops or 36 litters with 6 medical personnel
    Cargo compartment: width 3.33 m X height 2.25 mPayload: 11,500 kg (25,353 lb)
    Length: 22.7 m (74 ft 6 in)
    Wingspan: 28.7 m (94 ft 2 in)
    Height: 9.64 m (31 ft 8 in)
    Wing area: 82 m2 (880 sq ft)
    Empty weight: 17,000 kg (37,479 lb)
    Max takeoff weight: 30,500 kg (67,241 lb)
    Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce AE2100-D2A turboprop, 3,460 kW (4,640 hp) each
    Propellers: 6-bladed Dowty Propeller 391/6-132-F/10, 4.15 m (13 ft 7 in) diameter

    Performance
    Maximum speed: 602 km/h (374 mph; 325 kn)
    Cruising speed: 583 km/h (362 mph; 315 kn)
    Minimum control speed: 194 km/h; 121 mph (105 kn)
    Range: 1,852 km (1,151 mi; 1,000 nmi) with 10,000 kilograms (22,000 lb) payload
    Range at 6,000 kg payload: 4,260 km (2,650 mi; 2,300 nmi)
    Ferry range: 5,926 km (3,682 mi; 3,200 nmi)
    Service ceiling: 9,144 m (30,000 ft)
    ***Source***
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alenia_C-27J_Spartan#Specifications_.28C-27J.29

    Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today announced that the Government had agreed to purchase 10 Alenia C-27J Spartan Battlefield Airlift aircraft at a cost of $1.4 billion.

    The C-27J will replace the Caribou aircraft which was retired from service in 2009 after a career spanning more than four decades. The C-27J complements the capabilities of the C-130 and C-17 aircraft and uses common infrastructure and aircraft systems such as engines, avionics and the cargo handling systems.
    ***Source***
    http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/2012/05/10/minister-for-defence-and-minister-for-defence-materiel-joint-media-release-new-battlefield-aircraft-for-the-air-force/

    Bit light on payload, that’s about half a C130’s.
    It looks like a versatile little plane.
    Cost a bit.

    • KG says:
      June 30, 2015 at 18:13

      Anything with “military” written on it costs a bit, Jamie. http://falfn.com/CrusaderRabbit/wp-content/plugins/wp-monalisa/icons/wpml_yes.gif
      Ten (or, say eight in service) of these will be very useful and ultimately they’ll cost less than the ageing C-130 to run and maintain.

      • Darin says:
        July 1, 2015 at 01:20

        “they’ll cost less than the ageing C-130 to run and maintain.”

        Built in Italy,that will only hold true if Fiat wasn’t involved. :mrgreen:

        • KG says:
          July 1, 2015 at 03:35

          :mrgreen: How true. I reckon a Fiat-made composite airplane would rust. (But it would be fun to fly until it did)

  2. caleb says:
    June 30, 2015 at 19:22

    Well, I must say, I’m on the same page as you. I remember taking off and landing (at a jungle airstrip) in a RAAF Caribou and was impressed what it could do. It reminds me of this recent article which made me spew but wasn’t suprising after the NZDF LAV purchase
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/67796886/Defence-Force-could-spend-600m-on-two-new-planes
    NZDF would have been far better off sticking with an experienced/well trained, light infantry. An Airforce with a surveillance plane role and a new fleet of Helicopters to support and transport the Army. The Navy should have a capable inshore security/patrol role as we can’t afford to go too loose.
    What we actually have is a bunch of self serving officers and a military that has lost most of what made it well respected in the 20th century.

    • KG says:
      June 30, 2015 at 19:27

      Absolutely! http://falfn.com/CrusaderRabbit/wp-content/plugins/wp-monalisa/icons/wpml_good.gif

    • Jamie says:
      July 1, 2015 at 07:40

      I’m starting to be won over by some of the talk here. The range comes up just a touch short for the Christchurch – Antarctica flight, maybe they got extra tanks that can be fitted?

      Been thinking the same thing Caleb

      https://r1016132.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/swiss-armed-neutrality-the-defence-policy-nz-should-of-followed/

      Let me know what you reckon

      • caleb says:
        July 1, 2015 at 18:21

        Interesting approach.
        A good idea for counties like Singapore and the Swiss, not sure that NZ suits or needs a solution like that. Don’t get me wrong, I think the training is very beneficial for young Men but wouldn’t support CMT here. I would support incentives for voluntary training and an increased intake for the willing. The NZ Territorial’s are a good idea but not at a cost to the RF and as a tool to save money. As it stands I think the NZDF is far too top heavy and thinly spread across too many areas.
        If it was my decision, I would approach Aussy and try to arrange specialist areas where NZ would provide well trained, specialist support and complementary roles. This is kind of how our SAS work and this approach could be used across the forces.
        I just think, as it stands, we are totally inefficient and if tested, our capability totally lacking.

  3. The Gantt Guy says:
    June 30, 2015 at 20:50

    Maybe they could scrap the JSF and use these for dogfights instead?

    • KG says:
      June 30, 2015 at 21:11

      3g won’t quite cut it, Gantt. :mrgreen:

    • Wombat says:
      June 30, 2015 at 21:22

      They could scrap the JSF and have enough money to simply buy the world, with change left over for half of the moon on top.

      • The Gantt Guy says:
        June 30, 2015 at 22:09

        http://falfn.com/CrusaderRabbit/wp-content/plugins/wp-monalisa/icons/wpml_good.gif

        • Darin says:
          July 1, 2015 at 01:21

          They,and we,could scrap the JSF and buy four times as many F-22’s

          • KG says:
            July 1, 2015 at 03:37

            And a fleet of A10s

            • Jamie says:
              July 2, 2015 at 07:27

              Report: In test dogfight, F-35 gets waxed by F-16

              A test pilot report obtained by defense journalist David Axe of War is Boring detailed the performance of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in a mock air battle against a two-seat F-16D in January. The F-16D—based on a design developed 40 years ago and from a production run in the mid-1990s—bested the F-35 in close-range combat maneuvers.

              In the report, which Axe had obtained but did not publish in full, the F-35 pilot reported that his aircraft was in a “clean” configuration for the test, carrying nothing under its wings or in its internal weapons bays. The F-16, on the other hand, was flying with under-wing external fuel drop-tanks, which in theory would have put the aircraft at an aerodynamic disadvantage.

              Apparently, it didn’t. “Even with the limited F-16 target configuration, the F-35A remained at a distinct energy disadvantage for every engagement,” the F-35 pilot reported. That means the F-35 constantly found itself flying slower and more sluggishly, unable to effectively maneuver to get the F-16 in its sights.
              ***Source***
              http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/06/report-in-test-dogfight-f-35-gets-waxed-by-f-16/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arstechnica%2Findex+%28Ars+Technica+-+All+content%29

              The Yankies got a fleet of A10’s they are looking to scrap.

  5. George Romero says:
    June 30, 2015 at 22:54

    Is there anything White Phttp://falfn.com/CrusaderRabbit/wp-content/plugins/wp-monalisa/icons/wpml_whistle3.gifeople can’t do?