COVID-19: Third Kenyan C-27J Spartan ferrying medical supplies in Italy

March 31, 2020March 31, 2020 Ekene Lionel kenya

The third and final Kenya Air Force C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft set to be delivered before the end of this year, has been put to work ferrying essential medical supplies and equipment in Italy.

The Kenyan C-27J Spartan aircraft flights were monitored through Open-Source intelligence and mediums, it made several flights from Rome to Turin on 28 March, as well as from Turin to Milan the next day. It subsequently left Milan to an unknown destination.

Italian based sources told Military Africa that the aircraft is is complementing local air fleet in distributing materials needed to combat the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), and that the aircraft will be delivered to Kenya in due time.

Aircraft tracking on 30 March by Flight24

Italian-based Leonardo delivered two C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft to the Kenyan Air Force in 5 February 2020, out of the three aircraft initially ordered.

Both aircraft with serial number 224 and 222 touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from Italy on 30 January. President Uhuru Kenyatte was present during the arrival.

Kenya decided to purchase the C-27J aircrafts after a report submitted to the parliamentary public accounts committee by the Kenyan Treasury Secretary Henry Rotich on June 2018.

The third C-27J Spartan soon to be delivered to Kenya

The three C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft were acquired for Sh20 billion (S$198 448 276).

In 14 February 2020, the Kenya Air Force (KAF) successfully inducted the two new C-27J Spartan transport aircraft in a ceremony held at Embakasi Garrison.