Italy-based aviation, defense and technology company Leonardo displayed its multipurpose C-27J military aircraft at the Eurasia Airshow, Turkey's largest aviation event that began in the southern province of Antalya on Wednesday, while allowing journalists to take a glimpse of the company's various projects in the country.
In a press briefing, Leonardo Chief Commercial Officer Lorenzo Mariani said the company is in Eurasia with full strength because they believe in Turkey through a presence in the country for more than 40 years and with a country office serving in Ankara for the last 6 years.
Mariani noted that Leonardo had taken part various projects in Turkey, citing the T129 ATAK attack helicopter jointly developed and manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Leonardo Helicopters (formerly known as AgustaWestland), or the Meltem III navy patrol planes developed by Leonardo and TAI. Mariani said Leonardo also procured air defense radars, navy sensors and other defense systems to Turkey, in addition to a tight cooperation with the civil sector.
Mariani said Leonardo also aims to cooperate with TAI in the TF-X Turkish national fighter jet program as an avionics systems provider with national defense contractor ASELSAN.
Chris Bushell, Leonardo Airborne systems director for Major Air Programmes, explained that Leonardo currently provides some 60 percent of the avionics systems of the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet project. In the Tornado and Jaguar projects, the company also provides avionics systems, including black boxes, sensors and other equipment, the so-called "brains" of the aircraft, which help the aircraft and the pilots understand the environment around them.
The company brought an Italian Air Force C-27J to the Eurasia Airshow for display and for a press tour also attended by Luigi Mattiolo, Italy's ambassador to Ankara. The flight proved the C-27J's advanced maneuver capability, while offering journalists a unique flight experience in which they could test their resilience against G forces, see the beautiful view of the Gulf of Antalya, and even capture footage from the open cargo door at 10,000 feet.
The plane is equipped with two powerful Rolls-Royce AE 2100-D2A engines, allowing the plane to reach a safe combat zone altitude of 10,000 feet within five minutes.
Eduardo Munhos, head of international aircraft sales, said the plane has been successfully used in various missions for the Italian Air Force. He explained that the plane is probably the most effective military transport plane on the market since it can be used for various tactical and transport duties, from airdrop operations for special forces to search and rescue missions.
"This plane can land and take off from almost anywhere and anytime, including poor quality and short runways, or surfaces with snow, sand, ice or rocks," Munhos said, adding that the aircraft is fully night vision compatible. He said that these features enabled more than 80 aircraft to be sold worldwide, joining the air forces of countries like the U.S., Italy, Australia or Greece.
Although a compact aircraft when compared to other military transport planes, the C-27J offers the most spacious cabin. It can transport up to 60 infantry, 45 paratroopers and wheeled and tracked vehicles up to 5 tons.
"The C-27 can serve all the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces and the police," Mariani said.
The company also has extensive cooperation with Turkey's General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMİ) to meet the needs of the country's increasing air traffic volume. The systemic modernization of air traffic management resources in Turkey (SMART) project connects 20 control towers in the country through a center in Ankara and a backup center in Istanbul, helping DHMİ to manage more than 1,000 active flight plans at the same time.
Mariani said due to increasing air traffic both from the domestic demand and transit routes, Turkey's air traffic control is getting more challenging day by day, but the system proved to be a very resilient one, especially for disaster recovery. "We are using the system in Turkey for marketing purposes in other countries," he said, saying that Leonardo is very committed to DHMİ.
The system also allows for full integration of Turkish air traffic control with European counterparts.
