Leonardo has secured Azerbaijan as a new customer for its C-27J Spartan tactical transport.
Signed in Italy and announced by the airframer on 8 June, the contract is described as strengthening a “commercial collaboration between Italy and Azerbaijan” which already included links in the energy sector.
“The programme for the purchase of the C-27J was finalised through a technical roundtable between the Italian Ministry of Defence and its Azeri counterpart,” the company says. It declines to reveal further details of the sale, such as the number of aircraft involved, or their delivery schedule.
“The agreement is part of the extensive modernisation programme of the Azerbaijani armed forces, which are increasingly looking to the products of Italian industry,” it notes, without providing further details.
C-27Js are currently operated by 16 nations, with the twin-engined type having accumulated more than 170,000 flight hours in service, according to Leonardo.
Cirium fleets data shows the Azerbaijan air force’s current military airlift fleet as totalling two Ilyushin Il-76s.
