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Afghan Air Force C-27 Transport Fleet Grows

  • Published
  • By Capt. Rob Leese
  • 438th AEW PAO
KABUL, Afghanistan --  As the Afghan Air Force (AAF) grows with more personnel, so does it C-27 Spartan aircraft fleet. The Afghan Air Force's C-27 fleet now stands at six aircrafts with the arrival of Number 4087 on Aug. 12, 2010. This delivery is part of a contract purchased by the United States for 18 refurbished aircraft including maintenance for three years for $368 Million.

"The addition of the first VIP C-27 adds the capability of transporting high ranking government officials to include the president to locations throughout Afghanistan and other countries", said Lt. Col. James Piel, 538th Air Expeditionary Advisor Squadron commander.

The 373rd Fixed Wing Squadron of the AAF and the Combined Air Power Transition Force advisors conduct training missions to increase the Afghan pilots skills, but participate in operational missions. These include the first successful air drop, Pamir airlines aircraft search when the cilivilian airliner crashed in the Hindu Kush Mountains, and cargo/troop movements throughout Afghanistan.

The C-27A is a rugged, twin-engine turboprop aircraft with short take-off and landing capability. The Spartan is well suited for Afghanistan's mountainous terrain and limited road network. These obstaces make air power critical to the mobility of the Afghan National Security Forces. A C-27 can carry up to 20,000 pounds of cargo and fuel and operate on unimproved airfields as short as 3,000 feet, which allows access to airstrips unreachable by most fixed-wing aircraft.

"Due to the danger of ground transportation, this allows the government access to the people of Afghanistan and also its neighbours," Piel said.

The C-27A is an adverse-weather, day and night transport, Global Positioning System-equipped aircraft and can carry 44 personnel, 32 paratroopers or 36 litter patients.

A C-27 crew has two pilots and one loadmaster. The ANAAC's 373rd Fixed Wing squadron has six pilots and four loadmasters and more in training. The AAF is expecting more C-27s to be delivered in 2010. The Kandahar Wing will begin its C-27 program in 2011.