ROME - Alenia North America, a unit of Italy's Finmeccanica, has been awarded a $7 million contract to provide G-222 aircrew and maintenance training to the U.S. Air Force, the company said Oct. 27.
The training will be provided to U.S. advisors who are set to work with the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps (ANAAC), which is acquiring 18 G-222 transport aircraft from the U.S.
The aircraft, which formerly flew with the Italian Air Force, were resold to the U.S. by Alenia. The training program, which covers pilots, loadmasters, crew chiefs, and maintenance personnel, will last between 15 and 40 days and will involve classroom and flight training at Alenia's facility in Capodichino, Italy.
Alenia was contracted in 2008 by the USAF in a $287 million deal to supply the aircraft. The first two aircraft have now been delivered to the USAF and deliveries will continue into 2011. The G-222 aircraft, which were built between 1977 and 1985, are receiving avionics upgrades, while two will also be given sound-proof, VIP transport modules.
The Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program is ready to test a few components that soldiers may have in their hands by 2010.
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