Spartan for Slovenia

On 17 November 2021, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, Matej Tonin, and the Minister of Defence of Italy, Lorenzo Guerini, signed a government to government (G2G) agreement valued at euro 72 million for acquiring a single C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft.

Part of the agreement is that Italy will provide the training of the flight crews and maintenance of the aircraft.

In January 2021, Scramble Magazine reported on this possible sale. According to the Slovenian Armed Forces' White Book of Defence plan from 2019, the number of types of aircraft in the air force will be reduced. This might mark the end of the LET L-410UVP-E aircraft currently operated by the Slovenian armed forces.

The Republic of Slovenia will be the seventh European user of the transport aircraft next to Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia. Delivery of the Spartan is expected early 2023.

Photo (just illustrative) via UK Defence Journal