The first C-27J Spartan battlefield airlifter for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has completed its first flight at the Turin-Caselle Airport in Italy.

The aircraft is currently undergoing final checks in preparation for customer acceptance tests and procedures before its delivery to prime contractor L-3 Communications. The aircraft are part of a  U.S. Air Force (USAF) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract to Australia.

The first aircraft is expected to be delivered on schedule to L-3 in 2014.

Alenia Aermacchi is currently under contract to deliver 10 C-27J battlefield airlifters by 2015 to the prime contractor.