After the Spartan flew over and landed at the airfield, the Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec addressed the gathering. He stressed that this is a new acquisition - a transport capability that has never been available before. "The aircraft will not only be used by the Slovenian Armed Forces, but will also be at the service of citizens in the event of natural disasters, such as the ones we witnessed this summer. At that time, the Slovenian Armed Forces were among the first on the ground," said Minister Šarec, who also announced that the aircraft will soon be joined by a second transport aircraft. "The fleet will be even richer and the Slovenian Armed Forces will have the transport capabilities it needs," the Minister stressed. He went on to say that after years of stagnation, the Slovenian Armed Forces is on the path of development and modernisation. "If we want to recruit new personnel and put the Slovenian Armed Forces in its rightful place, we need to invest in research and development and integrate Slovenian knowledge," said Slovenian Defence Minister Marjan Šarec.

The gathering was also addressed by Colonel Janez Gaube, Commander of the 15th Military Aviation Regiment of the Slovenian Armed Forces, General Luciano Portolano from the Ministry of Defence of the Italian Republic, and Dario Marfè, representative of Leonardo.

During the ceremony, the Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec, the Director General of the Directorate for Logistics Mag. Željko Kralj and General Luciano Portolano cut the ribbon on the aircraft ramp, thus symbolically taking over the Spartan aircraft from the Ministry of Defence of the Italian Republic.

The Implementation Agreement for the first Spartan aircraft was signed on 17 November 2021 and the Amendment to the Implementation Agreement, which was the basis for the order of the second aircraft, was signed on 19 September 2023. It is essential to have at least two aircraft to maintain continued airworthiness. This will allow us to ensure the endurance of the force in the performance of combat or humanitarian tasks. Slovenia found itself in a disadvantageous position during the Covenant-19 epidemic in 2020, as we did not have adequate aviation capabilities. With the Spartan aircraft, we are addressing this gap.

The Spartan aircraft will enable the creation of a dual-role national aviation capability, giving the Slovenian Armed Forces the autonomy and independence to operate. It will be used for transport of troops, various cargo and equipment, vehicles, dropping of cargo and paratroopers, medical transport of SAF members or evacuation of citizens of the Republic of Slovenia, including rescue of isolated personnel and other such tasks. A passenger transport module and a fire-fighting capability have been specifically ordered for the Spartan aircraft. Our fire-fighting system will be in the form of a tanker, which will hold eight tonnes of water and have spouting nozzles at the doors.

It is an exceptional acquisition, bringing state-of-the-art military technology to Slovenia, and an opportunity for the development of Slovenian military aviation and the aviation profession.

The ceremony was attended by the leadership of the Ministry of Defence and the Slovenian Armed Forces, as well as members of the Defence Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, representatives of the Italian Ministry of Defence, representatives of the Embassy of the Italian Republic in the Republic of Slovenia, representatives of the local community and the Leonardo company, and other guests.

The ceremony of the new aircraft takeover was accompanied by a technical briefing and a demonstration of the latest technology and equipment in the framework of the modernisation of the defence sector.