Spartans on the Move

The Air Force has transferred three of the C-27Js it is divesting to Army Special Operations Command, said Army Maj. Emily Potter, spokeswoman for the Army’s special operations aviation component. The command, known as USASOC, expects to have the remaining four C-27s that it is acquiring from the Air Force in place by April, Miller told the Daily Report. USASOC will use the seven C-27Js for qualifying and training Army special operations forces at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, N.C., said Miller. For the time being, the C-27Js will be based at Pope Field, N.C., but eventually some will operate from Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., to support the Kennedy school’s military freefall training. Aircrew training is slated to begin in the second quarter of Fiscal 2014, utilizing contracted instructional support, she said. Initially, Army uniformed and civilian personnel will fly these aircraft. The C-27Js will replace the Army’s legacy CASA 212s. Switching to the C-27Js will save the Army money, said Miller. Plus, they will provide “vastly enhanced capabilities,” including “an increased capacity for jumpers, a pressurized cabin for high-altitude/low-opening jumps, and greater speed and range,” she said.