Leonardo has announced a deal to sell four C-27J Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The firm recently revealed it has struck a deal with the Saudi Ministry of Defence to supply four of the C-27J Spartan aircraft, with deliveries set to begin in 2029.
The country had previously bought two C-27Js last summer for casevac, cargo and firefighting tasks. As per a statement from the firm, the new deal marks the first time the C- 27J MPA has been procured with maritime weapon system integration capability.
Anticipated missions for the new Saudi aircraft include anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and surface warfare, as well as search and rescue (SAR) and air-drop.
The next-generation C-27Js are qualified for short take-off and landing (STOL) on sandy and unprepared runways. They have a maximum payload in excess of 11 tonnes and a 30,000ft operational ceiling
- You can read more about the C-27J on the Leonardo website