Alenia C-27J Spartan

[Tuccio14]

Spero serva a fargli capire che un aereo è utile anche se progettato all'estero...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Il Messico riceve il primo C-27J ....

 

DATE: 20/09/11

SOURCE: Flight International

 

Mexico receives first C-27J transport

 

By Craig Hoyle

 

 

Mexico's first newly-acquired Alenia Aeronautica C-27J has made its public debut at an event to commemorate the nation's independence.

 

Sporting a white colour scheme, the tactical transport was accompanied by one of the Italian manufacturer's own C-27J Spartans during the 16 September flight over Mexico City.

 

Acquired under a roughly $200 million contract signed in July, the aircraft is the first of four C27Js that will be delivered to Mexico by late 2012.

 

© Alenia Aeronautica

 

Alenia Aeronautica expects the nation's air force to operate the type for tasks including troop and equipment transport, medical evacuation, search and rescue and humanitarian assistance missions.

 

Modificato 20 Settembre 2011 da TT-1 Pinto

[Tuccio14]

Già glie lo hanno consegnato? Ma è stato un esemplare dirottato da altri ordini oppure veramente ci vuole così poco a costruire uno Spartan?

[TT-1 Pinto]

Già glie lo hanno consegnato? Ma è stato un esemplare dirottato da altri ordini oppure veramente ci vuole così poco a costruire uno Spartan?

Si tratterebbe di uno degli ultimi quattro esemplari (su dodici) destinati alla Grecia già costruiti ma mai ritirati a causa della ben nota situazione in cui si trova tale paese.

[Tuccio14]

Non ricordo... Di questo ne avevamo già parlato?

 

IAF issues RFI for C 27J Spartan

[TT-1 Pinto]

Non ricordo... Di questo ne avevamo già parlato?

 

IAF issues RFI for C 27J Spartan

Non mi pare ....

La notizia risale al Luglio dello scorso anno e, almeno in questa discussione, in quel periodo non se ne trova traccia ....

 

Comunque .... interessante ....

[TT-1 Pinto]

Una notizia preoccupante dagli Stati Uniti ....

 

Ulteriori tagli all'acquisto di C-27J da parte dell'USAF?

 

Il generale Stultz, capo dell'Army Reserve, esprime le sue preoccupazioni .....

 

 

Effect on Army of Spartan Cuts:

Should acquisition of Air Force C-27J transports fall victim to the budget axe, that would have a "huge impact" on the Army's CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters, said Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, Army Reserve chief.

The C-27s were "designed to take the load off of our CH-47s," Stultz told the House Armed Service Committee's tactical air and land forces panel Wednesday.

The CH-47s are some of the land service's "highest op tempo" assets, he said.

"We are flying the blades off of those things. And if we don't get the C-27s to take a load off of there, it is going to have a significant impact on our CH-47 fleet," he added.

 

La fonte è il sito dell'AFA (U.S. Air Force Association) che riporta la notizia nel suo "Daily Report" del 14 Ottobre 2011 .....

 

Degno di nota il fatto che, soltanto pochi mesi fa, alcuni senatori avevano invece chiesto che venissero acquistati altri "Spartan" ....

 

http://brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press_releases/release/?id=43C7AF98-3FEB-40FE-A28C-CDC3AFD86666

 

Purtroppo gli annunciati tagli alle spese per la difesa USA potrebbero far prendere una diversa piega agli avvenimenti ....

[Tuccio14]

Anche perchè credo che tra tutti i programmi quelli che prevedano acquisto di materiale straniero saranno i più tagliati... Sono curioso di sapere come procede il programma UH-72 Lakota dell'US Army...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Anche perchè credo che tra tutti i programmi quelli che prevedano acquisto di materiale straniero saranno i più tagliati... Sono curioso di sapere come procede il programma UH-72 Lakota dell'US Army...

Già dal mese di Marzo dello scorso anno ne risultavano consegnati 100 esemplari ....

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2010/03/eads-green-field.html

 

 

Brig. Gen. William T. Crosby, U.S. Army Program Executive Officer of Aviation addresses 600 guests during the delivery of the 100th Lakota Light Utility Helicopter March 4, 2010 at EADS North America's American Eurocopter facility in Columbus, Miss.

(Seated L to R) Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour; Sean O'Keefe, EADS North America's CEO; and Marc Paganini, President and CEO of American Eurocopter look on.

.... e EADS NA si accinge a presentare la versione armata AAS-72X nella competizione volta alla sostituzione dei Bell OH-58 "Kiowa Warrior" ....

 

Bell says it will be ready with its Block 2 upgrade of the OH-58D, Boeing will field the AH-6i, EADS North America the AAS-72X, and AgustaWestland says it will participate with either the AW119 or AW109. But AVX and Sikorsky confirm they will not be able to field aircraft.

 

http://goo.gl/UY0nu

 

 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Ed ora, sempre dagli Stati Uniti, una notizia rincuorante ....

 

Appello (bipartisan) di alcuni politici al Segretario alla Difesa ....

 

Go Back to the Requirement:

A bipartisan group of House members urged Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to reconsider the Pentagon's decision to reduce acquisition of the C-27J transport from 78 airframes to 38.

"The C-27J is a highly capable, versatile, and cost-effective aircraft with lower acquisition and operating costs than rotary-wing aircraft and larger cargo airlifters," wrote the 12 lawmakers in their Oct. 11 letter advocating more than 38 C-27Js "in light of the current budget environment."

The group is led by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) and Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.).

They added, "We believe the C-27J is the most practical and affordable solution to our tactical airlift requirements."

The validated National Guard requirement for these aircraft to support homeland defense in addition to national security roles "has not changed," they noted.

Therefore, "the C-27J should be considered as an affordable, cost-effective option in future defense plans," they stated.

Already, the first C-27J operational unit, the Ohio Air National Guard's 179th Airlift Wing, has deployed some of its aircraft to Afghanistan.

La lettera ....

 

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Reports/2011/October%202011/Day17/101110_C-27J_for_Panetta.pdf

 

La fonte è il sito dell'AFA (U.S. Air Force Association) che riporta la notizia nel suo "Daily Report" del 17 Ottobre 2011 ....

 

Modificato 17 Ottobre 2011 da TT-1 Pinto

[Tuccio14]

Grazie per i chiarimenti sul Lakota, evidentemente sono molto soddisfatti della macchina, come tutti gli altri utenti, militari e non, sparsi per il globo. In un'ottica di economie di scala e standardizzazioni sarebbe la miglior scelta per sostituire il mitico Kiowa Warrior, anche se non sono a conoscenza delle doti di agilità della macchina.

 

Tornando in topic, speriamo che i vertici delle forze armate statunitensi capiscano come, pur non essendo statunitense, lo Spartan possa essere l'aereo giusto al momento giusto. In Afghanistan è molto apprezzato.

[TT-1 Pinto]

Buone nuove ....

 

Dopo una falsa partenza risalente al 2007 ....

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/australian-government-gives-nod-to-alenia-over-c-27j-spartan-212813/

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/australian-air-show-raaf-plans-tactical-shift-to-c-27j-212841/

 

.... ora l'Australia sembra rinnovare il suo interesse per lo "Spartan" ....

 

http://rpdefense.over-blog.com/article-govt-requests-pricing-availability-for-a-raaf-c-27j-buy-86876556-comments.html

[Tuccio14]

Dopo del Messico anche l'Australia torna sui suoi passi a seguito della selezione del COSO...

[Tuccio14]

Cosa che invece non fa il Ghana, sempre per motivi finanziari: nel 2009 aveva "prenotato" quattro C-27J in Foreign Military Sale alla Defense Security Cooperation Agency statunitense, più due turboeliche di scorta e tutta l'assistenza del mondo, per la modica cifra di 680 milioni di dollari. Ora ha rinunciato alla FMS ed ha optato per due esemplari del COSO, che ovviamente costano molto meno sia in proporzione che complessivamente (due invece di quattro senza scorta di motori).

 

Link dal sito di Airbus Military

[TT-1 Pinto]

Sfuma, come prevedibile, una prospettata vendita all'Indonesia ....

 

 

Nel Marzo scorso ....

 

http://english.kompas.com/read/2011/03/10/07022760/Indonesian.Air.Force.to.Buy.C-27J.Spartan.Transport.Plane

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/indonesia-eyes-c-27j-spartans-354608/

 

 

Oggi ....

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/indonesia-to-acquire-24-used-f-16s-and-nine-cn295s-364007/

 

http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/76994/cn295-squadron-to-reinforce-ris-air-force

 

 

Il ventilato interesse nel nostro aereo probabilmente non era altro che una manovra dettata dalla necessità di forzare la mano ad EADS onde ottenere quote di lavoro per l'industria aeronautica indonesiana ....

[TT-1 Pinto]

Negli Stati Uniti si continua a dibattere sulla necessità di ulteriori acquisti ....

 

.... l'USAF non si sbilancia .... l'US Army esprime soddisfazione ....

 

 

Dal "Daily Report" dell' "AFA" (U.S. Air Force Association) di oggi ....

 

The Little Airlifter that Could Have?:

 

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Philip Breedlove told House lawmakers Thursday that the Air Force will "not back off of the requirement" to deliver goods to ground forces in austere locations.

But he said it's no longer clear whether the Air National Guard’s newest airlifter, the C-27J, or the C-130 will fill that role.

"That is still pending and is part of this ongoing budget review," said Breedlove in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee's readiness panel.

He was referring to Fiscal 2013 budget deliberations occurring against the backdrop of looming large budget reductions.

He added, "That will be worked out in the next few months."

Lawmakers have indicated that halting C-27 acquisition before the current 38-airframe program of record is completed is one option the Air Force is considering (1) to fit a shrinking budget.

Meanwhile, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli, lauded the mini airlifters at the same hearing, saying C-27s have helped to ease the burden on Army rotary wing aviators since the first C-27 deployment (2) to Afghanistan in August.

He said the C-27J also "provides a tremendous capability for homeland defense."

(See also Justify the C-27J Requirement (3).)

(Breedlove's prepared remarks (4).)

 

Links ....

 

(1) .... http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArchive/Pages/2011/October%202011/October%2014%202011/ADeflatingProspect.aspx

 

(2) .... http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArchive/Pages/2011/August%202011/August%2008%202011/C-27JsBeginOperationsatKandahar.aspx

 

(3) .... http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArchive/Pages/2011/July%202011/July%2007%202011/JustifytheC-27JRequirement.aspx

 

(4) .... http://www.airforce-magazine.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Testimony/2011/October%202011/102711breedlove.pdf

[TT-1 Pinto]

Brutte notizie in vista per lo "Spartan" dell'ANG?

 

Gli imminenti tagli al bilancio militare USA potrebbero pesare anche sull'acquisto di buona parte dei 38 esemplari previsti ....

 

Dal "Daily Report" dell' "AFA" (U.S. Air Force Association) di oggi ....

 

Painful Decisions:

 

Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told members of the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday that he expects the Pentagon’s strategic review to be complete by year’s end.

That review is likely to outline the fate of the Air National Guard’s newest airlifter, the C-27J, which embarked on its first deployment to Afghanistan this summer.

The service already has purchased 21 aircraft, with plans to purchase 17 more.

However, that appears to be under debate as service leaders grapple with fiscal uncertainties.

Schwartz said the "decision is not final" over whether to put the remaining C-27Js on the chopping block, but he added that such a move "would be extremely painful to me personally."

He explained that he made a “commitment” to retired Gen. George Casey, former Army Chief of Staff, “that I would not do this deal with him and then back out.”

The C-27J was originally an Army program, but was later transferred to the Air Force.

“That was two years ago, so I’ve got personal skin in this,” said Schwartz.

But, Schwartz also said that budget constraints are forcing the Air Force to look at reducing entire fleets, “not a few here and a few there.” (Schwartz written testimony)

[Tuccio14]

Se fermano a 21 il numero di C-27J c'è veramente da ridere... Un assetto che potrebbe ridurre la ncessità di costosissimi Chinook...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Thursday, April 23, 2009

 

Has the Air Force killed or stolen JCA ?

 

Just when it looked like the Air Force got pounded and the Army made out pretty well in Secretary Robert Gates' April 6th program "cuts and kills" announcement comes news that suggests that the Air Force may have quietly picked the pocket of the Army.

 

As the exceedingly well connected Roxana Tiron has reported in "The Hill", another decision, unmentioned by Dr. Gates on the 6th, may cheat the Army out of C-27J Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) that it has labored for years to field.

 

The roots of this turf battle stretch back decades to the 1948 Key West Agreement, where the Air Force essentially secured the airlift role/mission for the Department of Defense (DoD).

 

Since that time, the Army has complained that its airlift requirements have been give short shrift by the blue suiters and has sought to field its own small airlifters.

 

When Army officials -- particularly Army Guard officials began to clamor for a replacement for the aging C-23 SHERPA -- the Air Force wasn't interested in hearing about it... after all, lift was Air Force turf.

 

When the demand wouldn't go away, significant Army funding began to appear in the POM, and Congresional support emerged for the new aircraft start (based in large part on National Guard requirements), the Air Force quiickly got interested.

 

The Future Cargo Aircraft morphed into the Joint Cargo Aircraft and the Army (danger, danger) had a partner.

 

Although the Air Force didn't have an immediate need for the JCA and the Army was ostensibly still the lead Service in the program, the Air Force got the aircraft it wanted (the C-27J SPARTAN "baby Hercules") rather the smaller, cheaper-to-operate CASA C-295 supposedly preferred by the Army.

 

Now comes word from Ms. Tiron, citing anonymous Pentagon sources, that the JCA buy will be dramatically scaled back (to a total buy of 38) and the Air Force, which never wanted a new aircraft in the first place, will be given outright program control.

 

If the speculation is accurate, Dr. Gates envisions that the Army, which has already received two C-27J, has eleven others under contract, and which was originally slated to receive 54 of the program's first 78 aircraft, will be left with nothing.

 

If the speculation is accurate, the Air Force stands to prevail massively over the Army in a huge, protracted turf battle over the tactical lift mission.

 

If the speculation is accurate, its no wonder that Secretary Gates didn't mention it on April 6th.

 

Our last post notwithstanding, here's betting that the Guard weighs in and that the Congress won't buy this move.

Fonte .... http://www.dsjournal.com/2009.04.19_arch.html

 

Quanto sopra illustra come l'USAF, per mere questioni di bottega, abbia prima scippato il programma all' US Army per poi ridurlo numericamente a soli 38 esemplari.

Gli eventuali futuri tagli ai bilanci faranno il resto.

A questo punto non so quanto possano essere sincere le dichiarazioni del CSM dell'USAF riferite dal "Daily Report" o se si tratti soltanto di una sceneggiata ....

[TT-1 Pinto]

Quest'altro articolo, scritto successivamente dalla già citata Roxana Tiron su "The Hill", conferma le illazioni e dimostra come, a pochi mesi dalla scelta dell'aereo, L'USAF avesse già cominciato a manovrare per impadronirsi del programma ....

 

News article:

 

Gen. Moseley Pledges To Keep Air Cargo Program On Schedule

 

October 24th, 2007

 

'The Hill'

 

October 24, 2007

By Roxana Tiron

 

The Air Force chief of staff, Gen. Michael Moseley, foresees no changes to the Joint Cargo Aircraft if the Air Force is granted sole control of the program.

The Air Force currently shares responsibility for the program with the Army, as per a Defense Department directive.

But, questioning service roles and missions, Senate defense authorizers want to take money and control away from the Army and give both to the Air Force.

That action has prompted a vigorous defense by Army and National Guard supporters who fear the Air Force would delay or even cancel the program. Supporters contend the Joint Cargo Aircraft, also known as the C-27J, is critical for the Army and the National Guard both on the battlefield and in support of homeland defense missions.

In an interview with The Hill, Moseley indicated that he believed he could reach agreement with the Army’s chief of staff about how the program moves forward.

“I think we can come to closure on this,” Moseley said.

“[Army Chief of Staff] George Casey and I are truly committed to sit down and have a conversation” about the JCA and another controversial issue — control of medium- to high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles, Moseley said.

Congressional sources told 'The Hill' that Air Force officials support the Senate provision that would give the service control over the JCA.

In the interview, Moseley, who will testify Wednesday at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Air Force strategic initiatives, sought to ease fears among Army planners that his service is not committed to the JCA. Moseley said he is a “big believer” in the aircraft.

“I think the country will be well-served to be able to have this kind of capability inside the Guard and inside the active components, to be able to both intra-theater lift as well as homeland security, homeland defense governor-like missions,” Moseley said.

The Army and the Air Force earlier this summer picked the C-27J, offered by a team of L-3 Communications Holdings, Alenia North America and Boeing, as the Joint Cargo Aircraft.

A key question fought over among the services relates to timing.

The Army has an immediate need for the C-27J to deliver weapons and other equipment on what it refers to as “the last tactical mile” on the battlefield: dirt roads and difficult landing conditions.

The new C-27J would replace the Army’s beaten-up Sherpas and the H-12 Huron aircraft.

The Air Force, though, plans to start buying the aircraft in 2010.

“I am not seeing anything that would change the Army schedule” if the program goes to the Air Force, Moseley said.

“I do not see any break in schedule. I do not see any break in delivery. I do not see any difference.”

But Moseley’s statements come with a caveat.

He said that he has not asked Air Force acquisition officials those specific questions because he had hoped to work out the issues with the Army’s chief.

Another critical assumption in keeping the program on its initial schedule is that the Army’s money for the program would also have to move to the Air Force.

“I think this is a big deal for governors and a big deal for the National Guard and a big deal for disaster relief and homeland security,” Moseley said.

Currently, the Army is leading the JCA program executive office with 75 percent of the acquisition personnel.

The Army has defined all the requirements, developed fielding plans and set aside money for the program.

Program documentation and activities have been based on an “Army-led joint process,” according to a letter written by Army Vice Chief of Staff Richard Cody to Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“If this program were to revert to an Air Force-only program, the validity of these documents and decisions will come into question,” Cody said.

The Air Force would have to increase staffing to take over the program, a process that could take up to year.

It would also have to change the acquisition documentation and reprogram aircraft test activities.

“This time-consuming process could delay the program one to two years,” Cody said.

The Pentagon also opposes the Senate provision.

JCA supporters also fear that if the Air Force controls the program it may sacrifice it to buy more Lockheed Martin C-130J cargo aircraft.

But Moseley asserted that wouldn’t happen.

“The C-130J is not a replacement for the C-27J,” he said.

“I do not think they [the C-27J and C-130J] are mutually exclusive,” he said. “Is there a most operationally useful mix of C-130J and C-27s? The answer to that is yes.”

There is a total requirement of 125 JCAs, Moseley said.

He added that international air forces could also buy the C-27.

Moseley’s take on the JCA could be met with some distrust by certain House members during the hearing.

An effort in the House to eliminate the Senate provision is gaining steam.

More than 50 lawmakers have signed on to a letter opposing the measure that is expected to be sent to conferees soon.

Del. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam) and Reps. Robin Hayes (R-N.C.) and Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) are leading the lobbying effort in the House.

In the same vein, Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) are also working on a letter to conferees.

The controversy over the JCA is not the only heated issue Moseley may address in Wednesday’s hearing.

The Air Force has been pressing Congress to allow it to retire up to 30 Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy aircraft, arguing that it could buy more Boeing C-17 aircraft.

Several Air Force-commissioned studies indicated that the Air Force should maintain a mix of about 300 C-5 and C-17 aircraft.

The parochial battle in Congress over these two aircrafts — the C-17 is built principally in California and the C-5 is assembled in Georgia — has complicated the issue on Capitol Hill.

Several senators have raised concerns that the Air Force may be encouraging Boeing to keep its C-17 production lines open.

“I feel pinched between the people in this town that are C-5 advocates and the people in this town that are C-17 advocates when I am trying to say there is an empirical analysis here and the reality of language that won’t let us retire the C-5s, the reality of [C-5] modernization programs now becoming very expensive and the reality of burning up the existing C-17s at higher rates because we are using them in combat,” Moseley said.

“That is the swirling circle of all of that.”

[TT-1 Pinto]

Ed ora vengono fuori anche i pezzi taroccati ....

 

Dal "Daily Report" dell' "AFA" (U.S. Air Force Association) di oggi .... 9 Novembre 2011 ....

 

Counterfeit Crackdown:

 

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is on a mission to prevent fake parts from making their way into the defense supply chain.

SASC has been conducting its own investigation into counterfeit electronic parts, some of which have been found on the Air Force's new C-27J aircraft, the Navy's SH-60B helicopter and P-8A Poseidon aircraft, as well as the Missile Defense Agency's THAAD missiles.

These cases, said Levin during a SASC hearing Tuesday, "are a drop in the bucket."

He continued, "There is a flood of counterfeits and it is putting our military men and women at risk and costing us a fortune."

Levin said the Defense Department must change its acquisition rules to ensure the cost of replacing suspected fake parts falls on contractors.

This, he says, will ensure greater accountability.

In the mean time, DOD needs to require certification for supply parts to ensure legitimacy, especially for those that come from China where the vast majority of counterfeits appear to originate, he said. Levin also wants to see an inspection system put in place for parts coming in from China, similar to systems already in place for certain agricultural goods.

(Levin opening statement .... http://levin.senate.gov/newsroom/speeches/speech/opening-statement-at-sasc-hearing-on-counterfeit-electronic-parts-in-dod-supply-chain )

[TT-1 Pinto]

Alenia punta ora sull'Oman ....

 

Finmeccanica is at the show promoting its C-27J Spartan tactical transport as a contender for the Omani air force's requirement for eight multi-mission aircraft

 

.... ma anche al ricco mercato offerto dagli altri paesi del Golfo ....

 

Ghione also sees interest in the C-27J from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and potentially the United Arab Emirates.

 

Fonte .... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/dubai-finmeccanica-eyes-oman-transportmaritime-requirements-364661/

[TT-1 Pinto]

Le minacce di abbandono del programma "JCA" da parte dell'USAF sembrano farsi più concrete ....

 

http://militarytimes.com/news/2011/11/air-force-c-27J-may-be-on-chopping-block-112111/

 

 

 

 

Inutile fare commenti ....

[TT-1 Pinto]

Ora anche l' US Army, a suo tempo espropriata dall'USAF dell'aereo, sembra aver perso interesse per il C-27J ....

 

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=8488042&&s=TOP

 

.... a meno che non si tratti di manovre collegate ai problemi di bilancio in vista dei pesanti tagli in arrivo negli USA ....

[TT-1 Pinto]

Di miglior tenore, invece, le notizie provenienti dagli antipodi ....

 

The chief of the Australian air force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, says a letter of request (LOR) has been issued for the C-27J, but no such request has been issued for the C295.

All that has been issued for the C295 is a request for information in regard to pricing, he says.

.... anche se, a quanto sembra, gli Australiani intendono tirare sul prezzo ....

 

It is clear that the C-27J is a more expensive aircraft, so the Australians may be using the C295 pricing to negotiate a more competitive deal with Alenia.

 

Fonte: Aerospace Daily and Defense Report (AW&ST)

 

Testo e discussione .... http://goo.gl/zi1eo