Slovenia buys C-27J Spartan from Italy under G2G agreement

Leonardo C-27J Spartan multirole cargo aircraft.

The Italian Minister of Defense Lorenzo Guerini and the Slovenian Minister of Defense Matej Tonin yesterday signed a Government to Government (G2G) agreement in the defense sector, confirming the excellent relationship between the two nations.

The agreement provides for the purchase by Slovenia of a Leonardo C-27J Spartan multi-role transport aircraft and related pilot training, assistance and maintenance services.

"G2G agreements are effective industrial policy tools, which allow the national industry to assert the quality of its products abroad," said Guerini.

The agreement - the first ever for Italy - is part of the broader framework outlined by the "Directive for industrial defense policy", signed by Guerini last summer. This directive aims to give new impetus to the competitiveness of the national industry in the sector, "to continue to guarantee Italy and its industrial excellence a prominent position in the main and most innovative European and international cooperation programs, and increase the technological relevance of Italian know-how in the world," said Guerini last July during the issue of the directive.

The C-27J Spartan is a very versatile and flexible medium tactical transport aircraft capable of effectively carrying out various missions, including medical or airborne material and paratroopers.

Government cooperation with Slovenia comes after a long process conducted by the General Secretariat of Defense and Directorate of Armaments of Italy, which led to the drafting of an Implementation Agreement, which takes into account the operational, technical, logistical, training, legal and administrative. It formed the necessary basis for the definition of the final agreement.

Ljubljana had already revealed its purchase plan for a C-27J Spartan last January, see our previous article for more details.

Written by Matteo Sanzani

Source: Italian Ministry of Defence