First RAAF C-27J Touches Down in Australia

The first of 10 C-27J (A34-001) tactical airlifters for the RAAF has touched down at its new home of RAAF Base Richmond.
A second C-27J, A34-002, is expected to be delivered to Richmond in August.
A34-001 had entered Alenia Aermacchi’s Turin assembly line in December 2012 and first flew on December 18 2013. It was ferried to L-3 in Waco in March 2014 for fitment of its ballistic protection matting, EW/self-protection systems, and communications suite. The RAAF then accepted the first two C-27J Spartans onto the Commonwealth register, and commenced training on the aircraft at L-3’s facility at Waco, last December.
The C-27Js are being acquired as battlefield airlifters to replace the capability lost with the retirement of the DHC-4 Caribou in 2009. The C-27Js will be based at Amberley.
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