| G.222 C-27A Spartan | |
|---|---|
 A US Air Force C-27A Spartan out of Howard AFB, Panama | |
| General information | |
| Type | Military transport aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Fiat / Aeritalia / Alenia Aeronautica |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary users | Italian Air Force (historical) |
| Number built | 111[1] |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1970–1993[1] |
| Introduction date | April 1978 |
| First flight | 18 July 1970 |
| Retired | 2012 (Afghan Air Force) |
| Developed into | Alenia C-27J Spartan |
The Aeritalia G.222 (formerly Fiat Aviazione, later Alenia Aeronautica) is a medium-sized STOL military transport aircraft.
It was developed to meet a NATO Basic Military Requirement 4; accordingly, it was originally designed with lift engines for a V/STOL capability, but these were never fitted to production aircraft. No wider NATO production contact were emerged, but Italy was keen to support its homegrown transport aircraft and issued an order for it in a more conventional configuration. Following its introduction to Italian Air Force service in April 1978, the type soon proved itself to be capable for conducting operations from compact and austere airstrips, particularly humanitarian missions.
Various export customers emerged for the type during the 1980s and 1990s. Libyan efforts to purchase 20 G.222s were initially vetoed by United States; Libya later procured a version of the aircraft without US-made equipment present instead. The United States purchased 10 G.222s in the 1990s, designating the type C-27A Spartan.[2][3] During the 2000s, as the Italian Air Force withdrew their original G.222s due to their advancing age, these aircraft were commonly refurbished and subsequently sold onto other nations; via this approach, several G.222s were dispatched to Afghanistan during the War in Afghanistan.
A modernised variant, the Alenia C-27J Spartan, has been developed during the early 21st century. While it retains many aspects of the original aircraft, the C-27J adopts the same engines and many of the systems used on the larger Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules. Several G.222 operators, including the Italian Air Force, have opted to retire their fleets in favour of new-built C-27Js.