Leonardo, together with Northrop Grumman Australia, will bring a whole-of-life sustainment approach to the C-27J, and a roadmap for future modernisation and upgrades using extensive reach-back and sovereign capabilities. The versatility of the C-27J, combined with Northrop Grumman Australia’s proven track record and exemplary performance with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Spartan fleet, will allow the RNZAF to seamlessly perform the widest range of airlift missions, along with humanitarian aid & disaster relief, search & rescue and VIP transport, in the harshest environmental scenarios.
Maurizio De Mitri, Marketing and Sales Director at Leonardo Aircraft, said: “with this partnership we want to make Australia our hub for the C-27J in the region to provide New Zealand with true excellence not only in terms of product, but also in terms of services, to ensure decades of efficient transport and relief operations. The successful experience of the RAAF fleet is a testament to our commitment and we are convinced that New Zealand would receive significant advantages by becoming the next Spartan Customer.”
“We are excited to be able to take our combined strengths and deep knowledge of C-27J and deliver highly optimised services and support to regional customers,” says Nic Maan, director of Northrop Grumman Australia, Technology Services sector. “This MoU confirms the importance of the establishment of this strategic partnership between Northrop Grumman Australia and Leonardo, as it brings together the two organisations best placed to deliver C-27J operations in New Zealand,” Maan adds.
The Northrop Grumman Australia team of more than fifty personnel at RAAF Base Richmond provides logistics, engineering, modernisation and upgrade capabilities to provide forward-thinking analytical solutions for the C27J platform. The team delivers a predictive, holistic and continually optimised approach to provide gamechanging mission readiness and anticipate necessary modernisations and enhancements to the fleet.
The Leonardo C-27J Spartan has been designed as a true military tactical/battlefield airlifter to routinely operate from short austere airstrips. The Spartan offers unique qualities, not found in aircraft of the same class or derived from commercial turboprops, such as: ruggedness, reliability, outstanding survivability and maneuverability. The aircraft has the capability to perform autonomous operations from remote areas and is qualified to perform short take-offs and landings on any type of unprepared airstrips (snow, sand, gravel and grass). The C-27J is currently in operation globally with various military services, including the U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, Italian Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force.