Spartan testbed trials MAFFS II

Leonardo’s C-27J Spartan testbed (CSX62127) is seen here returning to its home base at Turin-Caselle Airport in northern Italy on May 30 after spending several weeks at Taranto-Grottaglie Airport in southern Italy where it performed tests with the type’s new aerial firefighting system, the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System II (MAFFS II).

The second-generation, roll-on/roll-off system has a removable tank with a capacity for more than 8,000 litres of water or 7,600 litres of a fire-retardant liquid in the cargo hold. The system also includes a pressurised door and tank, an outlet nozzle on the port side rear door and a ground support system. Thanks to the palletised design of MAFFS II, a C-27J can be converted to an aerial firefighting configuration from its baseline tactical transport set-up in about 90 minutes