Italian G-222s Ready for Afghan Use
ROME - Italy could soon complete the sale of up to 23 aging G-222 cargo aircraft to the U.S. government, which would then donate the aircraft to Afghanistan, a source at manufacturer Alenia Aeronautica said.
As Italy takes delivery of new C-27J tactical transport aircraft, it is handing its older G-222s back to Alenia Aeronautica. After U.S. commanders in Afghanistan called for the Afghan government to be given transport aircraft, the Alenia source confirmed that the U.S. government could purchase the aircraft and then give them to Kabul, which now operates five AN-32 aircraft.
The aircraft are parked at the Pisa Air Base of the Italian Air Force's 46th air transport brigade. Originally 24 aircraft, one is being refurbished for sale to Nigeria, which operates five G-222s. Those five have also been refurbished by Alenia.
The firm is meanwhile stepping up its sales campaign for its G-222 replacement, the C-27J.
Luciano Fava, senior vice president for international sales, said last week at the Singapore Air Show that "the time was ripe" for Australia to buy new tactical transports to replace its Caribous, and that Alenia was reopening its Canberra office to push sales of the C-27J.
Alenia's own C-27J line is able to turn out 12 planes a year, but that could rise to 18, he said, because the line now being prepared in the U.S. to handle sales to the Pentagon also may be able to turn out aircraft for the world market.
Fava did not rule out a second line being built in the U.S.
"Twelve to 18 months is the current waiting time for a C-27J, and we do not want to go beyond that," he said. "No one wants to wait for three years."
An Alenia source added that U.S. built C-27Js could conceivably be marketed for commercial sales around the world by Alenia, but would likely be sold in the U.S. configuration, with U.S. systems aboard.
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