ATK, Alenia Aermacchi Successfully Flight Tested MC-27J

ATK and Alenia Aermacchi successfully completed the first phase of ground and flight tests of their MC-27J multi-mission aircraft.

A Roll-On/Roll-Off (RORO) Gun System pallet was installed and tested on the Alenia Aermacchi C-27J Spartan airlifter. The series of tests were conducted by ATK and Alenia personnel at Eglin Air Force base in Florida. The test events were designed and certified by the U.S. Air Force and deemed successful by Air Force Special Operations Command.

The series of ground and flight tests demonstrated the ability of the C-27J to host the self-contained, modular pallet utilizing ATK’s proven GAU-23 30mm cannon in a side-firing configuration. Live-fire tests and a timed demonstration of the ability to quickly go from a cargo configuration to a weaponized configuration of the aircraft exceeded all test objectives.

“The performance and functionality of the gunship pallet in this first round of testing met all of our objectives, and we are now ready to move on to Phase 2 of development and testing,” said Bill Kasting, vice president and general manager for ATK Defense Electronic Systems. “Our modular Roll-on/Roll-off mission and weapon systems, coupled with the proven capability of the C-27J, provide customers with an adaptable, agile and affordable multi-mission solution.”

"The introduction of the ATK palletized system is a perfect fit for the C-27J,” said Ben Stone, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alenia Aermacchi North America. “It combines the aircraft’s inherent mission capability with ATK’s proven ability to develop cost-effective integration solutions. We are excited to continue Phase 2 of the test program to provide our worldwide customers true multi-mission options for the already combat-proven C-27J Spartan.”

ATK and Alenia Aermacchi announced their intent to jointly develop and market the MC-27J multi-mission aircraft using a phased approach at the Farnborough Air Show last year. The MC-27J will provide customers with the ability to quickly transition from a tactical cargo mission to a persistent multi-mission capability utilizing RORO pallets for the integrated mission system consoles, GAU-23 cannon, Precision Guided Munition weapon systems and enabling C2/ISR architectures. The next phase will further advance the Technology Readiness Level of this game-changing product.