Leonardo has secured a contract for the supply of C-27J tactical transport aircraft to Azerbaijan, the Italian company announced on 8 June 2023.
“An Azerbaijani delegation was in Italy for the contract signing in the presence of representatives of the defence ministers of the two countries,” Leonardo stated in a press release. Azerbaijan will become the 17th customer for the C-27J.
“Initially linked to the energy sectors, the collaboration between Italy and Azerbaijan is now also extended to defence industry products thanks to the valuable contribution provided by the Italian Ministry of Defence,” the company added. “The programme for the purchase of the C-27J from Leonardo … was finalised through a technical round table between the Italian Ministry of Defence and its Azeri counterpart. The agreement is part of the extensive modernisation programme of the Azerbaijani armed forces, which are increasingly looking to the products of Italian industry.”
ESD has approached Leonardo for further details of the contract, although the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore has previously reported that two C-27Js are covered in the initial deal with Azerbaijan.
Peter Felstead
