Colombia Seeks to Acquire L 410 NG Aircraft to Replace Its C-212 Aviocars

The Colombian Army plans to purchase two Czech L 410 NG light transport aircraft manufactured by Aircraft Industries.

This was reported by the Spanish publication Infodefensa.

The L 410 NG is a twin-engine turboprop light transport aircraft designed to carry up to 19 passengers or up to 2,300 kg of cargo. Its maximum takeoff weight is 7,000 kg.

The Ministry of National Defense of Colombia has allocated approximately $33.1 million for the purchase.

The new aircraft are intended to replace three CASA C-212 Aviocars, which Colombia received in 2003 as a gift from the Spanish government as part of a military aid program. These aircraft are scheduled to be decommissioned.

The Assault Aviation Division, which will receive the aircraft, was established in 2010 through the merger of the Special Forces Brigade and the Counter-Narcotics Brigade—along with a Special Air Operations Battalion.

In addition to the C-212, the division also operates Cessna C-208 Caravan and Antonov An-32 aircraft, as well as UH-60 Black Hawk, Sikorsky S-70i, and Mil Mi-17 helicopters.

The L 410 NG retains short takeoff and landing capabilities. It requires approximately 600 meters for takeoff and about 590 meters for landing. This allows the aircraft to operate on short and unpaved runways, which is particularly important given Colombia’s rugged terrain.

The L 410 NG is a modernized version of the Let L-410 Turbolet. It is equipped with GE H85-200 engines and state-of-the-art Garmin G3000 avionics. Thanks to larger fuel tanks, the flight range has increased from approximately 1,400 to 2,600 km, and the payload has increased by approximately 500 kg. The aircraft has a service life of up to 30,000 flight hours.

The Czech Republic recently exported the L 410 NG to Thailand, Kazakhstan, Senegal, and Chile.

The aircraft have been entirely designed by Aircraft Industries in Kunovice with 617 Czech companies involved in their production.

The company is part of the Czech Omnipol Group, which, incidentally, manufactures the Senator armored vehicles in partnership with the Canadian company Roshel.