Italy and Azerbaijan have deepened their collaboration with the signing of a contract for the supply of the C-27J Spartan aircraft to the Azerbaijan Air Force.
The agreement, facilitated by the Italian Ministry of Defence working group, marks expanding the collaboration beyond the energy sector and demonstrates Azerbaijan's increasing interest in the defence industry products offered by Italian companies.
The contract was signed in Italy, with an Azerbaijani delegation present alongside representatives from the Defense Ministries of both countries.
Initially established in the energy sectors, the collaboration between Italy and Azerbaijan has now broadened its scope to encompass defence industry products, thanks to the valuable contribution of the Italian Ministry of Defence working group.
The procurement of the C-27J Spartan from Leonardo resulted from extensive discussions and a technical round table between the Italian Ministry of Defence and its Azeri counterpart.
Leonardo's C-27J Spartan operates in various challenging environments. Its capabilities encompass military transport missions, airdrops of paratroopers and supplies, tactical troop support in critical situations, special forces operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts.
Leonardo announced their first quarter 2023 results recently. The Italian company showed strong commercial performance, with a Growing backlog at €39.1bn ($41.8bn), equal to more than 2.5 years of production.
A variety of nations have procured the C-27J Spartan for their airforce inventory. These include a variety of countries, such as Kenya, Slovenia, and Turkmenistan. In 2018, Leonardo conducted the maiden flight of the C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft in a new baseline configuration, marking key progress in its development.
This collaboration represents a milestone in the strategic partnership between Italy and Azerbaijan, strengthening their bilateral ties and fostering advancements in the defence industry.
As the C-27J Spartan takes flight in the Azerbaijani skies, it will enhance the country's defence and emergency response capabilities.
