Breaking News
Saudi Arabia Orders 4 C-27J Patrol Aircraft to Enhance Maritime Defense Across the Red Sea and Gulf.
Saudi Arabia has ordered four C-27J Maritime Patrol Aircraft from Leonardo to strengthen surveillance over the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. The move enhances the kingdom’s ability to deter maritime threats at key oil and trade chokepoints.
On 16 February 2026, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirmed it will acquire four C-27J Maritime Patrol Aircraft from Leonardo, reinforcing its airborne surveillance presence over the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Announced in Rome, the contract with the Saudi Ministry of Defence positions the twin-engine turboprop as a multi-mission platform capable of anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface operations, search and rescue, and tactical transport. The order comes as commercial shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz faces persistent missile, drone, and small boat threats, placing renewed emphasis on persistent maritime domain awareness. By adding a flexible patrol aircraft able to operate from austere airfields and remain on station for extended periods, Riyadh is expanding both deterrence and response options along two of the world’s most critical sea lanes.
Saudi Arabia has signed a contract with Leonardo for four C-27J Maritime Patrol Aircraft to expand armed surveillance and response capabilities over the Red Sea and Persian Gulf amid rising maritime security threats (Picture Source: Britannica / Leonardo)
Saudi Arabia’s contract covers four C-27J Maritime Patrol Aircraft destined for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, with deliveries beginning in 2029. Riyadh becomes the 21st operator of the C-27J family, whose global fleet has accumulated more than 290,000 flight hours, and adds to a first acquisition in summer 2025 of two C-27J aircraft configured for firefighting, cargo and medical evacuation missions. The new order is also notable because it is the first time the MPA variant is procured with integrated maritime weapon systems, signalling a move from pure surveillance and patrol toward a full-spectrum, armed maritime air capability under national control.
The Saudi C-27J MPA is built on the C-27J Spartan Next Generation multi-mission transport platform. This twin-engine turboprop aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce AE2100-D2A engines driving six-blade propellers, giving it a top cruise speed of about 325 knots and a service ceiling of 30,000 feet. It has a high-strength cargo floor and a large cross-section able to accommodate up to 60 troops in high-density configuration or more than 11 tonnes of payload, and is certified for short take-off and landing on semi-prepared strips, including sand or rough surfaces. These basic characteristics make it well suited to operate from secondary airfields on Saudi territory, closer to the Red Sea and Gulf coasts, and to sustain long-endurance missions over water while retaining tactical transport capacity.
For maritime patrol, the MPA configuration adds a dedicated mission suite centred on Leonardo’s Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance (ATOS) system, which fuses data from multiple sensors optimised for the detection, identification and tracking of surface vessels and submarines. The aircraft can be equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) surface-search radar, an electro-optical/infrared turret, Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver for ship tracking, electronic support measures for signals intelligence, a magnetic anomaly detector and an acoustic subsystem for processing sonobuoy data.
In addition, sonobuoy launchers and ordnance dispensers allow the crew to deploy acoustic buoys, flares and markers, while up to five operator consoles in the cabin manage sensors, communications and weapon employment. A secure communications suite with satellite links provides real-time connectivity with naval command centres and surface units, including beyond-line-of-sight transmission of recognised maritime pictures. The MPA can carry roughly 3.6 tonnes of armament on six under-wing pylons, ranging from lightweight torpedoes to anti-ship missiles and depth charges, giving the platform the ability not only to find threats but also to engage them directly.
A key feature of the C-27J MPA is that its specialised mission equipment remains largely palletised and removable. By extracting the consoles and some of the sensors, the aircraft can revert to roles typical of the baseline Spartan: tactical airlift, airdrop of personnel and cargo, and medical evacuation missions. The same airframe can therefore be used in peacetime for resupply of remote coastal facilities, humanitarian relief in the event of flooding or cyclones, and rapid evacuation of casualties from isolated islands, before being reconfigured for high-intensity maritime security tasks. Endurance in the MPA configuration exceeds nine hours, and it can be extended with in-flight refuelling, giving the Royal Saudi Naval Forces the ability to maintain persistent patrols over wide oceanic areas.
The C-27J’s credibility is reinforced by its global operational history. Developed from the earlier G.222 transport, the Spartan entered service in the mid-2000s and has since been ordered by at least a dozen air forces, including the Italian Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force; 117 aircraft had been built by 2022. Variants configured for maritime roles are already in service with the United States Coast Guard, which employs HC-27J aircraft for surveillance, medium-range search and rescue, interdiction of illicit trafficking and disaster response. This established track record in demanding environments, from Afghanistan to the Andes and from disaster zones to long maritime patrols, provides a mature foundation for the Saudi MPA programme and reduces technical risk in integrating the new mission systems.
In the Red Sea theatre, the four C-27J MPA are likely to be tasked first with continuous maritime domain awareness. Since late 2023, missile and drone attacks on commercial shipping near the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have forced major shipping companies to reroute traffic away from the Suez–Bab el-Mandeb axis, with significant economic impact and a sustained multinational naval presence to protect remaining traffic. Equipped with modern sensors and long endurance, the Saudi Spartans will be able to patrol the approaches to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, classify and track small craft, monitor suspicious behaviour such as loitering near shipping lanes and support coalition responses to distress calls. Their ability to deploy sonobuoys and coordinate with surface warships and helicopters will also allow them to contribute to anti-submarine warfare in the southern Red Sea, where potential adversary submarines could seek to threaten sea lines of communication. In crisis, the same aircraft can rapidly shift to search-and-rescue following attacks at sea, dropping life rafts, guiding surface units and providing an airborne command post for coordinated response.
On the kingdom’s eastern seaboard, overlooking the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, the C-27J MPA will face a different but equally demanding operational environment. The Gulf’s confined waters and dense traffic amplify the risk that Iranian exercises, fast-attack craft manoeuvres or missile tests could interfere with commercial shipping and energy flows. In these conditions, the C-27J’s radar and electronic support measures can map the electromagnetic environment, detect the activation of coastal missile batteries or radar sites, and track small, fast-moving vessels that are difficult to spot with surface sensors alone. Armed with lightweight torpedoes and, potentially, anti-ship missiles, the aircraft could also contribute to layered defence of Saudi offshore infrastructure and escort of strategic convoys, complementing surface combatants and land-based air power.
Beyond the purely tactical level, the Saudi decision to acquire an armed MPA variant of the C-27J carries broader strategic significance. It enhances national autonomy in maritime surveillance by giving Riyadh its own multi-mission fixed-wing patrol capability, rather than relying solely on coalition aircraft or commercial satellite feeds. It also fits into a regional picture where air and missile threats to shipping have driven the United States and partners to reinforce integrated air and missile defence networks and naval deployments across the Gulf, Red Sea and Arabian Sea. By combining surveillance, strike and transport functions in a single, adaptable platform, Saudi Arabia is investing in flexible assets that can support both high-end deterrence and everyday security tasks, from monitoring illegal fishing to responding to natural disasters. Over time, local maintenance and mission-system support for the C-27J fleet could also feed into the kingdom’s ambition to develop its own defence industrial base.
The four C-27J Maritime Patrol Aircraft ordered by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence represent more than a simple fleet renewal: they introduce an armed, networked and reconfigurable maritime air component directly tailored to the twin challenges of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Built on a proven tactical transport platform and equipped with a sophisticated mission suite and weapons integration, the Saudi Spartans are poised to act as a mobile extension of naval situational awareness and strike power over two of the world’s most strategic sea lanes. How quickly the Royal Saudi Naval Forces integrate these aircraft into joint operations, alongside surface combatants, helicopters, unmanned systems and allied assets, will determine the full impact of this capability, but the direction of travel is clear: Riyadh is equipping itself to play a more active and autonomous role in securing the maritime arteries on which its economy and regional stability depend.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.