Leonardo, contract in Saudi Arabia: four C-27J Spartan aircraft for maritime patrol.

• The Saudi Ministry of Defense has contracted with the Leonardo company to purchase four C-27J maritime patrol aircraft, and delivery is expected to begin in 2029.

• This contract represents the world's first instance of purchasing an integrated C-27J MPA aircraft equipped with naval weapon systems, making the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia the first operating nation of this advanced version capable of countering maritime threats.

• With this order, the Royal Saudi Navy also becomes the twenty-first global operator of the C-27J.
• The C-27J Spartan, a multi-mission tactical transport aircraft that has exceeded a total of 290,000 flight hours in service.

Italian Aerospace major Leonardo will supply four C-27J maritime patrol aircraft to Saudi Arabia under a contract with the Saudi Ministry of Defense, the company announced on Monday.

The MPA aircraft will be delivered to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces from 2029. This acquisition will make the kingdom the 21st global operator of the platform.

• The C-27J MPA retains the flexibility of the baseline transport aircraft. This modular configuration allows operators to use the aircraft across both combat and support roles without requiring dedicated fleets.
• The C-27J MPA integrates a dedicated mission suite, including sensors optimized for detection, identification and tracking of surface and submarine targets, managed by an advanced mission management system (the Leonardo Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance system) with data fusion capabilities.
• A complete communication system allows real time data sharing with control centres and secures cooperation with other units, also in Beyond Line Of Sight (BLOS) conditions.

According to Leonardo, these aircraft will offer increased capabilities for maritime surveillance, countering underwater and surface threats, as well as search and rescue, transport and airdrop missions. The agreement also marks the first integration of a full maritime weapons system on this version of the aircraft.

The latest order builds on Saudi Arabia’s earlier acquisition of two C-27J aircraft in 2025 configured for firefighting, cargo transport and medical evacuation roles.

Leonardo emphasizes that the C-27J MPA maritime patrol version retains the features of the base model, including advanced avionics systems, secure communication devices and an integrated mission suite for the detection and tracking of surface and underwater targets. The aircraft can also be quickly reconfigured for transport or medical evacuation missions.

The manufacturer says the program continues to benefit from investments to expand mission profiles and integrate new technologies to meet users' operational needs.