C-27J Spartan (Alenia Aermacchi )

Taiwan is in price negotiations to buy six Alenia [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] C-27J Spartans for its armed forces, with industry sources expecting the deal to go ahead in the next year.
Taipei has been assessing the C-27J and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Casa CN-235 for its medium tactical airlift capability for several years, and industry sources say that it has decided to go ahead with the Spartans.

The purchase will be made through the US government's foreign military sales mechanism, they add. The US Air Force is buying the C-27J Spartans, an upgraded version of the Alenia G222, under its Joint Cargo Aircraft programme. Alenia and L-3 Communications are partners in Global Military Aircraft Systems, the joint venture that is responsible for marketing the aircraft to the US military.

Any deal is likely to raise a protest from China, which has consistently opposed arms sales to Taiwan. Beijing has regarded Taipei as a renegade province since their split in 1949, and has threatened to attack if the island declares independence. However, given that this is not an offensive weapon, like fighter aircraft, it is unlikely to be a major bilateral issue, say the sources.
The USA, which switched diplomatic ties to Beijing in 1979, is legally obliged to help Taiwan defend itself. However, it has long dithered on Taipei's biggest aim, a 2001 request to buy 66 [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] F-16C/Ds worth $1.3 billion.
In October 2008, Washington approved a $6.5 billion arms package that includes 30 [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters, upgrades to four Northrop [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning and control system aircraft and spare parts for Taipei's Lockheed F-16A/B and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] fighters. Under an earlier $1.3 billion deal, Lockheed will also refurbish 12 P-3Cs that are in storage in the USA.

With deliveries of its first [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]s having slipped from December 2009 until early 2013, Turkey has announced plans to acquire an interim capability including 10 tactical transports.
Turkey's undersecretariat for defence industries, the SSM, plans to start a project shortly, with a selection to be made by mid-2010 between the Airbus Military [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and Alenia Aeronautica's [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].
The Turkish air force operates 13 Lockheed Martin C-130B/Es, 50 Airbus Military CN-235s and has an active fleet of fewer than 20 C160 Transalls. The service is to receive 10 A400Ms.
The SSM has also outlined a new air force requirement for a stand-off jammer capability. Five aircraft are required, with Ankara considering a business/regional jet conversion involving types such as the Bombardier Global Express and Embraer ERJ-145. Turkey had previously considered adapting the A400M for the role.

Ghana has emerged as a potential new buyer for Alenia Aeronautica's [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], with the African nation having requested a four-aircraft deal worth around $680 million.
Outlined to Congress earlier this month by the US [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], the deal would include aircraft configured for tasks including troop transport, maritime patrol and medical evacuation. To be delivered by prime contractor [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Integrated Systems, it would also cover the provision of "VIP module and observation windows", the notification says.

The DSCA says the proposed sale "will allow Ghana to strengthen its homeland defence by improving its capability to deploy troops to protect its borders". A fleet of C-27Js would also "enhance Ghana's ability to participate in peacekeeping operations", it adds.
Ghana's current air force inventory includes three [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] F27 transports and one F28, according to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].
If approved by Congress, the deal will represent the second sale of the C-27J to an African nation, following an earlier contract to provide four to Morocco.

Romania’s first two of seven C-27J Spartan tactical transports have arrived in Bucharest, after completing a ferry flight from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]’s Turin Caselle site in Italy.

The aircraft landed at Bucharest Otopeni airport on 12 April and have now been formally accepted by the Romanian air force.

The service will use the type to replace its remaining four operational Antonov An-26s in performing tasks such as personnel and equipment transport, medical evacuation, search and rescue and humanitarian assistance.

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Bulgarian defence minister Anyu Angelov is to cut several procurement programmes in an effort to save funds.

The defence ministry wants to negotiate with Alenia Aeronautica to reduce the air force's C-27J Spartan transport order from five to three aircraft, and intends to halve the navy's acquisition of six [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] helicopters, he says.

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] has delivered its first of four C-27J Spartan tactical transports to the Moroccan air force.

The North African country signed a contract worth about €130 million ($165 million) with the Italian company in October 2008, which industry and local sources say also includes a two-year package of training and logistics support, plus options for a VIP module.

Industry sources say Morocco's aircraft will be delivered in a configuration similar to that already in service with other
international C-27J customers, including provisions for a self-protection suite.

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The new transports will replace some of the air force's [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Local sources say the Spartan was selected because of its ability to conduct operations without deployed ground support, and to operate under extreme environmental conditions.