The Ministry of Internal Affairs continues the process of developing its aerial capabilities through the acquisition, within the SAFE – Security Action for Europe – instrument, of two C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft, aimed at strengthening the national capacity for intervention in emergency situations and complex crises, civil protection, and humanitarian support.
The two aircraft will be operated by the General Inspectorate of Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a structure coordinated by the Department for Emergency Situations, and will be used both in Romania and within Europefor cooperation missions in the field of emergency management, civil protection and the provision of necessary support to populations affected by disasters or other critical situations.
The two C-27Js will further expand the Ministry of Internal Affairs air mobility capabilities and open additional operational possibilities, thanks to rapidly and easily installable roll-on/roll-off mission kits. Beyond personnel and cargo transport, the aircraft will support a wide range of disaster relief missions, including safe transport of critically ill, injured or contagious patients, high precision firefighting, and long range / long endurance Search And Rescue (SAR) operations over land and sea.
This order brings the total number of Spartans acquired by the Country to 9 and raising the global program to 102 aircraft ordered by 22 operators in 19 countries. Under the contract, including specific mission kits, logistic support, training and infrastructures, the delivery of the first aircraft is expected in 2029.
The two aircraft ordered will be the first Next Generation C-27Js delivered to Romania, joining the C-27J fleet already in service with the Romanian Air Force (RoAF) since 2010, which logged more than 30,000 flight hours while conducting approximately 28,000 tactical transport, medical evacuation, firefighting and training missions, supporting Romania and allied countries in the most critical situations, such as the COVID-19 emergency and the ever increasing outburst of wildfires in Europe.
The Next Generation configuration retains full interoperability with the legacy C-27J, while introducing new avionics, more advanced communication systems, and aerodynamic enhancements, improving efficiency and overall mission performance.
A further confirmation of the C-27J’s value is demonstrated by its operators: countries already employing the aircraft continue to purchase additional units, demonstrating solid trust in its reliability, mission flexibility and performance in the most demanding operational scenarios.
This new contract strengthens the long-term partnership between Romania and Leonardo and provides further evidence of Romania’s reliance on the C-27J’s unique capabilities to effectively carry out a wide range of operational tasks in all environmental conditions and reflects Leonardo’s continuous commitment to a long-standing and valuable cooperation with the country. The C-27J’s success continues to grow worldwide, with both existing and new operators having accumulated a total of more than 295,000 flight hours.
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