XBradTC

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XBradTC

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MC-27J Gunship

The Alenia Aermacchi built C-27J is a modernized version of the Aeritalia G.222 light transport of the 1970s. The US acquisition program for the C-27J was an utter catastrophe, but the fact remains that it is a capable aircraft, and is generating quite a bit of interest in international sales.  One thing readers here might…

The Alenia Aermacchi built C-27J is a modernized version of the Aeritalia G.222 light transport of the 1970s. The US acquisition program for the C-27J was an utter catastrophe, but the fact remains that it is a capable aircraft, and is generating quite a bit of interest in international sales.  One thing readers here might have noticed is that transport aircraft are inherently adaptable to other roles, either on a permanent basis, or through the use of palletized mission loads. In alliance with ATK Orbital, Alenia is developing as a private venture the MC-27J, which, while still capable as a tactical airlifter, can also be used to carry Hellfire missiles, and a ATK 30mm chain gun mounted on a roll-on/roll-off pallet.

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  1. Think Defence (@thinkdefence)

    Great video and a brilliant system.

    Wrote a short piece on it in May

    http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2015/05/roll-on-roll-off-gunship/

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  2. xbradtc

    I literally cannot think of a subject you haven’t previously written about.

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  3. SFC Dunlap 173d RVN

    Nice

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  4. ultimaratioregis

    Neat system. The danger, of course, is that they bank low over the bad guys, scream “Die, you bastards!”, only to remember that they pallets they have on this trip contain poncho liners.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Pave Low John

    Back in 2004, everyone in HQ AFSOC was thinking that the command was going to buy some AC-27Js and really bulk up the gunship fleet. But, as time passed, it was obvious that the Big Blue AF had zero interest in C-27s (especially gunship C-27s). The conventional crowd went to all that trouble to get rid of them back in the 90s and they weren’t about to let something as “trivial” as the GWOT bring them back….

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  6. xbradtc

    It was blindingly obvious the AF was doing everything they could to strangle the entire JCA program in its crib.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. CTII Raven

    I wasn’t impressed. I doubt seriously if that concept ever was accurate enough to be effective

    PLJ: the AC-27 would have been more effective than the whiskeys IMO

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  8. Quartermaster

    Yeah. Exhibit 2,736,425 of the case against continuing an independent AF.

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  9. Pave Low John

    No argument from me. Hell, it took the AC-130Us almost 30 minutes to tweak their systems every night on their way into Iraq, back during my CAOC days, so imagine how long it takes to tweak a palletized system….

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