Air Transport

Boeing has officially joined the Alenia Aeronautica/L-3 Communications Global Military Aircraft Systems (GMAS) team offering the C-27J Spartan to meet a potentially 145-aircraft US Army and Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) requirement. Boeing will support the development of a US version of the C-27J and participate in the type’s production under the agreement, which brings to an end an earlier possibility that it could offer a rival solution, potentially based on Antonov’s An-72 (Flight International, 24-30 January). “Boeing’s expertise in manufacturing high volumes of military aircraft will complement the skill sets of the other team partners,” it says. GMAS faces competition from an EADS Casa and Raytheon team promoting the CN-235 and C-295 transports. Final bids will be submitted on 17 May, with a platform selection expected later this year.