Formal Acceptance Of C-27J To Take Place In October
L-3 Communications, prime contractor for the US Army and Air
Force Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) program, announced Thursday it has
presented the first C-27J JCA to the joint program office on
schedule and on budget. The aircraft is the first of 78 planned to
be delivered to the Department of Defense. The current contract is
valued in excess of $2 billion.
"We are very proud to have achieved this critical milestone in
meeting our commitment to our customer," said Michael T. Strianese,
president and chief executive officer of L-3. "With Alenia, we have
consistently performed well throughout all phases of the JCA
program, and we look forward to continuing to lead this successful
effort."
"L-3, Alenia Aeronautica and Alenia North America have worked
very hard to ensure that we present the C-27J on time to the U.S.
Army," said Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, chairman and CEO of
Finmeccanica, parent company to aircraft manufacturer Alenia
Aeronautica. "This event demonstrates our group's capability and
our strong commitment to the US market."
A formal ceremony marking the first aircraft delivery will take
place in October at L-3's facility in Waco, TX.
The C-27J Spartan was selected in June 2007 as the Joint
Cargo Aircraft. The first aircraft arrived at L-3's
Waco facility August 14 from Alenia Aeronautica's Caselle final
assembly plant in Turin, Italy to receive unique modifications and
testing. The second JCA is currently undergoing testing in Italy
and will arrive in Waco in October to be delivered to the customer
in November.
The C-27J is a mid-range, multifunctional and interoperable
aircraft able to perform logistical re-supply, MEDEVAC, troop
movement, airdrop operations, humanitarian assistance and homeland
security missions for the US Army and US Air Force. The C-27J will
replace the U.S. Army's C-23 Sherpa and portions of the US Army's
C-12 and C-26 fleet. The C-27J will augment the US Air Force's
existing fleet of intra-theater airlifters. The aircraft will play
a key role in providing responsive aerial sustainment and critical
re-supply support for the maneuver force to maintain operational
momentum.
The C-27J Spartan has been in production in Italy since 2001 and
has been delivered to Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Lithuania. It has
also been ordered by Romania with deliveries scheduled to begin in
2009. Orders to-date, follow-on contracts, as well as
international, foreign military and variant sales, are expected to
extend orders for the C-27J to more than 200 aircraft.