Afghan Fleet of G.222 Reach Flight-Hour Milestone, Take Delivery of 6th and 7th Aircraft 

14:56 GMT, September 8, 2010 Alenia North America, a subsidiary of Alenia Aeronautica (A Finmeccanica Company), announced today that the Afghan fleet of G.222s has logged over 1,000 flight hours. The G.222 is being used by the Afghanistan Air Force (AAF) to provide airlift transport capability to the Country and its air force.

“The G.222 achieving 1,000 flight hours is a great milestone for this program”, said Joe Reheiser, Vice President of Air Mobility Programs at Alenia North America. “This aircraft has proven time and again that it is ideally suited to the Afghan terrain. We are confident that the fleet will prove to be an asset to the Afghanistan Air Force”.

The AAF have taken delivery of the first seven G.222 aircraft since September 2009, with the 6th and 7th aircraft delivered in the last days. One of these two aircraft is the VIP aircraft which will support Presidential and VIP airlift. The other has remained in Alenia’s Capodichino facility near Naples, Italy, for USAF Air Advisor Training. Over the course of three years, 18 G.222 aircraft will be refurbished and modernized to a standard configuration.

The United States Air Force, through the Combined Air Power Transition Force (CAPTF) in Afghanistan is rebuilding the AAF and the G.222 serves as a cornerstone of this nascent air force. The aircraft is also being used for the training of United States Air Force Air Advisors at the Alenia Aeronautica Capodichino facility in Naples, Italy.


The G.222 AAF Program

In 2008, Alenia North America was awarded a contract by the United States Air Force to supply 18 refurbished G.222 aircraft for the Afghanistan Air Force (AAF). The 18 refurbished aircraft will be used by the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. They will be transferred by the Combined Air Power Transition Force in Kabul to the reconstructed AAF.

The G.222 will serve as the back bone of the AAF and will significantly expand their ability to provide humanitarian aid and security to the Afghan population throughout the country.

Alenia North America, as prime contractor, is responsible for program management while the aircraft are being refurbished and modernized by its parent company Alenia Aeronautica in its Capodichino facility near Naples, Italy. Logistical support in Afghanistan will be carried out by L-3 Vertex Aerospace. 
 

Avatar Alenia Aeronautica


Country: Italy Type: Industry & Suppliers Status: advanced
Company or Organisation Portrait:
Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica company, develops its role as global aeronautical player active in the military and civil markets by continuously increasing its ability to design, build, integrate and support complex systems and by grasping the opportunities for selective partnerships offered by evolving scenarios and growing markets.

The Alenia Aeronautica product portfolio includes proprietary products like the C-27J, the only true modern tactical airlifter available today worldwide, or the ATR42MP and ATR72ASW, special mission aircraft developed for maritime patrol roles. The company also plays key roles in world-class programs like Eurofighter Typhoon, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the Neuron European UCAV demonstrator. It also plays leading roles in commercial aircraft, designing and building advanced aerostructures for state of the art airliners including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The CFRP empennage for the new Bombardier CSeries is the latest addition to this business

Its subsidiaries include Alenia Aermacchi, the world leader in training aircraft In an equal-share joint venture with EADS, Alenia Aeronautica owns ATR, which dominates the regional turboprop market, and has recently started a fruitful partnership with the Russian company Sukhoi to develop and market the Superjet 100, the most advanced and environmentally friendly regional jet available on the market.

Alenia Aeronautica also controls Alenia North America, Alenia Hellas, Alenia SIA and Superjet International. Its other international joint ventures and consortia include Eurofighter and GMAS in the USA.
 
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