Australia will retire its Leonardo C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft and replace them with commercial airframes as part of the country’s latest defense strategy.
Australia will retire its Leonardo C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft and replace them with commercial airframes as part of the country’s latest defense strategy.
Revealed in April, the move falls under a broader shift toward long-range strike and surveillance capabilities within the Royal Australian Air Force.
Canberra has not disclosed a retirement timeline or specified a platform to replace the fleet, according to local media.
The planned commercial aircraft are expected to handle “sovereign airlift and surveillance needs of Pacific partners,” while the military’s incoming fleet of 20 new C-130J Hercules aircraft will undertake more complex missions.
Sources noted that officials linked the retirement to upkeep and overhaul challenges, including spare parts shortages and upgrades tied to the aircraft’s specialized Australian configuration.
Reports also cited difficulties integrating newer identification friend or foe solutions into the platform.
Despite setbacks, the Spartan has played a key role in disaster response tasks, including recent bushfires and flooding missions in Queensland.
Its ability to access remote airstrips also made it deployable for larger Pacific operations and regional support missions.
The C-27J Spartan
Australia adopted the C-27J in 2015 as a battlefield airlifter designed to operate from short and underdeveloped runways.
In 2020, Canberra shifted the aircraft away from frontline duties and into light transport and humanitarian roles.
The fleet consists of 10 platforms and is operated by the No. 35 Squadron in Amberley, Queensland.
Each C-27J has a length of 23 meters (75 feet), a wingspan of 29 meters (95 feet), and a capacity for up to 11,300 kilograms (24,912 pounds) of payload or 60 troops.
It is powered by twin Rolls-Royce AE 2100D2A turboprops with an output of more than 4,600 horsepower each and a six-blade Dowty propeller with a diameter of 14 feet (4 feet).
In action, the plane can reach a top speed of 325 knots (602 kilometers/374 miles per hour), a range of 950 nautical miles (1,759 kilometers/1,093 miles), and an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,144 meters).
