Bob Cox
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
February 16, 2005
Italian aircraft manufacturer Alenia Aeronautica has found a Texas partner to help sell a new cargo aircraft to the Army!
Alenia and L-3 Communications Integrated Systems of Greenville will form a joint venture for U.S. production and support of the C- 27J twin-engine cargo plane.
The L-3 division will replace Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. as the U.S. face on the program, which aims to sell the C-27J to the Army and the National Guard for tactical and battlefield airlift missions.
Lockheed will remain a key supplier on the program, providing engines and flight controls.
The C-27J is based on an earlier model, the C-27A, designed and developed by Alenia and sold to the Air Force, among others. Alenia and Lockheed produced an upgraded model by installing the engines, propellers and flight systems that Lockheed uses on its larger, longer-range C-130J transport.
L-3 has been a supplier of cockpit instruments and other electronics for the C-27A as well as C-27J models sold to other countries.
Italy and Greece have each ordered 12 C-27Js for their militaries.
"Alenia is a top-notch aerospace firm, and this venture is an excellent opportunity ... to work together and focus our collective energies to help the U.S. Army as they modernize their aviation program," said Frank Lanza, L-3's chief executive.
L-3 employs about 3,500 people at its Greenville aircraft modification and electronics installation facilities and several hundred more in Waco.
Alenia is a part of Italy's Finmeccanica Group. A sister company, AgustaWestland, recently teamed with Lockheed and Bell Helicopter to win the contract to develop the next-generation Marine One helicopter.
