INDIAN ARMED FORCES CHIEFS ON
OUR RELENTLESS AND FOCUSED PUBLISHING EFFORTS
SP Guide Publications puts forth a well compiled articulation of issues, pursuits and accomplishments of the Indian Army, over the years
I am confident that SP Guide Publications would continue to inform, inspire and influence.
My compliments to SP Guide Publications for informative and credible reportage on contemporary aerospace issues over the past six decades.
C-27J: US Air National Guard’s choice for Afghanistan
Video Credit: National Guard
The C-27J Spartan is now the choice of US Air National Guard for deployment in hostile scenarios such as Afghanistan.
The C-27J has been selected by the United States Government to equip US Army and US Air Force, through the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) programme, against the EADS-CASA C-295.
The C-27J is a twin-engine turboprop tactical transport aircraft with state-of-the-art technology in avionics, propulsion and systems. It provides high performances, high cost effectiveness, extreme operating flexibility and it is the only aircraft of its class offering interoperability with heavier airlifters.
The first two C-27Js are already being used at Robins Air Force Base, in Georgia, to train air crews. The rest of the 38-aircraft fleet will be delivered to six Air Guard bases, said Lt.
The C-27J resembles a C-130J—the newest airframe to be added to the Air National Guard's inventory— but is about half its size. Beckman estimates about 350 people will be trained to fly the new plane.
According to Lt. Colonel Joe Brophy, a C-130J pilot from the Maryland Guard who is working on the C-27J programme and will be one of the initial instructors for the new aircraft, the C-27J is capable of landing with a 2,000 ft or less ground roll on an unimproved runway, offloading cargo and taking off from that same runway at a field elevation of 6,000 ft in 95 degree.
The C-27J's ability to perform in austere conditions makes it well suited for missions in mountainous Afghanistan and will keep more convoys off Afghanistan's dangerous roads.
The C-27J is the culmination of separate air force and army initiatives dating back to 2005. The army was seeking an aircraft that would conduct time-sensitive, mission-critical cargo and personnel airlift and relieve the stress on its C-23 Sherpa and C-12 Huron planes, and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
The project evolved into the Joint Cargo Aircraft project, but the decision was made in April 2009 to transfer the programme solely to the Air Force, Beckman said. The C-27J will ease the pressure on the C-130 fleet as well as the Army's Chinooks.
The C-27J, thanks to a loading system perfectly compatible with one of the C-130 family, can carry pallets weighing up to 4,700 kg and high up to 2,20 m.
The C-27J is capable of performing many missions such as transport of troops, goods and medicines, logistical re-supply, medical evacuation, airdrop operations, paratroopers' launches, search and rescue (SAR), fire fighting, humanitarian assistance and missions in support of homeland security.
The C-27J is equipped with modern avionics and efficient propulsion system, the new avionics system, the architecture of which is completely redundant to increase the level of mission security and reliability permits to operate in any environment condition and in any operational scenario.
The C-27J has been designed, developed and tested as a true military aircraft using military standards to produce a robust, safe and performing aircraft, and has obtained military qualification certificate. At the same time, the C-27J is airworthy to civil standards, as witnessed by its certification from the Civil Aviation Authority.
The C-27J has been selected by the United States Government to equip US Army and US Air Force, through the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) programme, against the EADS-CASA C-295.
The C-27J is a twin-engine turboprop tactical transport aircraft with state-of-the-art technology in avionics, propulsion and systems. It provides high performances, high cost effectiveness, extreme operating flexibility and it is the only aircraft of its class offering interoperability with heavier airlifters.
The first two C-27Js are already being used at Robins Air Force Base, in Georgia, to train air crews. The rest of the 38-aircraft fleet will be delivered to six Air Guard bases, said Lt.
The C-27J resembles a C-130J—the newest airframe to be added to the Air National Guard's inventory— but is about half its size. Beckman estimates about 350 people will be trained to fly the new plane.
According to Lt. Colonel Joe Brophy, a C-130J pilot from the Maryland Guard who is working on the C-27J programme and will be one of the initial instructors for the new aircraft, the C-27J is capable of landing with a 2,000 ft or less ground roll on an unimproved runway, offloading cargo and taking off from that same runway at a field elevation of 6,000 ft in 95 degree.
The C-27J's ability to perform in austere conditions makes it well suited for missions in mountainous Afghanistan and will keep more convoys off Afghanistan's dangerous roads.
The C-27J is the culmination of separate air force and army initiatives dating back to 2005. The army was seeking an aircraft that would conduct time-sensitive, mission-critical cargo and personnel airlift and relieve the stress on its C-23 Sherpa and C-12 Huron planes, and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
The project evolved into the Joint Cargo Aircraft project, but the decision was made in April 2009 to transfer the programme solely to the Air Force, Beckman said. The C-27J will ease the pressure on the C-130 fleet as well as the Army's Chinooks.
The C-27J, thanks to a loading system perfectly compatible with one of the C-130 family, can carry pallets weighing up to 4,700 kg and high up to 2,20 m.
The C-27J is capable of performing many missions such as transport of troops, goods and medicines, logistical re-supply, medical evacuation, airdrop operations, paratroopers' launches, search and rescue (SAR), fire fighting, humanitarian assistance and missions in support of homeland security.
The C-27J is equipped with modern avionics and efficient propulsion system, the new avionics system, the architecture of which is completely redundant to increase the level of mission security and reliability permits to operate in any environment condition and in any operational scenario.
The C-27J has been designed, developed and tested as a true military aircraft using military standards to produce a robust, safe and performing aircraft, and has obtained military qualification certificate. At the same time, the C-27J is airworthy to civil standards, as witnessed by its certification from the Civil Aviation Authority.
