Polish company PZL Mielec, owned by American giant Lockheed Martin, will manufacture and deliver two M28 Skytruck aircraft to German PD Sicherheit GmbH, which are a local copy and essentially the development of the An-28. And deliveries are expected in 2027 and 2028.
Yes, this concerns an airborne modification that will be used in training German special operations forces and counter-terrorist units. Also, if necessary, they will work with other NATO member countries.
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Regarding training types, these will mainly be parachute jumps, supplemented by various specialized tasks, such as cargo drops. Most likely, the aircraft is profitable to use for this thanks to its low operating cost and high versatility with the ability to use in experimental conditions.
It's noted that PD Sicherheit GmbH has been cooperating with PZL Mielec since 2017, when the first two M28s were delivered. Currently, the company operates as many as four aircraft, and after fulfilling the new contract there will be six.
Regarding the Skytruck itself, it's based on the An-28, which was produced here during the Cold War. They are designed to work in difficult terrain and climate conditions, such as mountainous regions or unpaved runways.
This is easily seen in the design with two turboprop engines, which, among other things, provides short takeoff and landing capabilities. That's why these aircraft were sold through the US to Nepal for cargo delivery.
Overall, regarding characteristics, the M28 has a cargo capacity of 2.3 tons at a range of 190 km, or 1.1 tons at a distance of over 1,300 km. Thanks to this, it serves as a transport aircraft in many countries with weak air forces.
However, theres no great demand for the aircraft yet, with small orders for a special niche, as with the German contract. And this is parallel to the fact that the C-145A variant used by US SOF was written off in 2022, and the proposed new MC-145B assault transport has not found interest.
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