Editing Short C-23 Sherpa (section)

===U.S. Army===
The eight former USAF aircraft were used for test duties at different units; two were re-designated as JC-23A.<ref name="scramble"/>

The Army purchased four civil Short 330 aircraft to replace the [[de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou|de Havilland Canada C-7 Caribou]] being used to support the [[Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site|Kwajalein Missile Range]]. These were not given a C-23 designation, and were retired in 1992.<ref name="scramble"/> In 1988, the Army ordered ten new-build Short 330s designated C-23B to replace the DHC C-7 Caribou used by the U.S. Army National Guard Aviation and Repair Activity Depots. In 1990, a further six were ordered.<ref name="scramble"/>

When the Army wanted 20 more C-23s in 1990 the production line had closed; second-hand Short 360 aircraft were purchased instead. Designated C-23B+, these were modified from the original single tail to the twin-tail and cargo ramp of the other C-23Bs.<ref name="scramble"/> In 1994, another eight aircraft were converted to replace the [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter|de Havilland Canada UV-18 Twin Otter]]s used in Alaska.<ref name="scramble"/> (which was also out of production since 1988)<ref>{{cite web |last=Hemmerdinger |first=Jon |last2=Paris |date=2023-06-19 |title=De Havilland resumes Twin Otter 300 production with new variant |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/airframers/de-havilland-resumes-twin-otter-300-production-with-new-variant/153788.article |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240325012535/https://www.flightglobal.com/airframers/de-havilland-resumes-twin-otter-300-production-with-new-variant/153788.article |archive-date=2024-03-25 |access-date=2023-11-01 |website=Flight Global }}</ref>

During [[Iraq War]] (2003–2011), the C-23 served the Army's intra-theater needs of cargo and personnel transport. It provided an economic alternative for transporting some 20 people or three pallets of cargo when speed was not critical.<ref>[http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,020904_C23,00.html "C-23: A Small Cargo Plane that Makes a Big Difference"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013014651/http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,020904_C23,00.html|date=13 October 2017 }}, Military.com, 9 February 2004.</ref>

As part of the U.S. Army's [[Constant Hawk]] intelligence gathering program, five Short 360s were modified for use in Iraq and flew in theater between 2006 and 2011. A further two modified aircraft collided in mid-air before delivery to Iraq. The Constant Hawk aircraft were not given a military designation.<ref name="scramble"/>

On 13 June 2007, the [[Alenia C-27J Spartan|Alenia C-27J]] was selected to replace the C-23 in U.S. Army service.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.af.mil/News/story/id/123057181/|title=C-27J Spartan named as Joint Cargo Aircraft|date=14 June 2007|work=Air Force Link|access-date=17 June 2007|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526085537/http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123057181|archive-date=26 May 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/06/defense_JCA_070613/|title=C-27J tapped for Joint Cargo Aircraft|date=14 June 2007|work=Air Force Times|access-date=17 June 2007|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20070814222958/http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/06/defense_JCA_070613/|archive-date=14 August 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> A total of 43 C-23s were in service with the U.S. Army as of November 2008 (all US C-27 aircraft at that time were transferred to the US Coast Guard in 2012 due to budget shortfalls).<ref name="FI_AirForces_2008">"Directory: World Air Forces", ''[[Flight International]]'', 11–17 November 2008.</ref> The C-23 Sherpa was retired from the [[Army National Guard]] in January 2014.<ref>[http://www.dvidshub.net/news/119002/c-23-sherpa-makes-final-flight-army-guard-retires-venerable-aircraft#.UtA3zMKA0dU C-23 Sherpa makes final flight as Army Guard retires the venerable aircraft] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110192716/http://www.dvidshub.net/news/119002/c-23-sherpa-makes-final-flight-army-guard-retires-venerable-aircraft#.UtA3zMKA0dU |date=10 January 2014 }} – Dvidshub.net, 10 January 2014</ref> As part of the [[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014]], 8 C-23s may be transferred to the State of [[Alaska]] to operate from short rural runways for search-and-rescue and medium-lift missions.<ref>[http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-final-flight-of-the-c-23-sherpa/ The Final Army Flight of the C-23 Sherpa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203165250/http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-final-flight-of-the-c-23-sherpa/ |date=3 February 2014 }} – Defensemedianetwork.com, 27 January 2014</ref>

[[File:US Army MFFATIC Water Jump.jpg|thumb|left|[[High-altitude military parachuting|HAHO-type]] Para jump out of back of C-23, 2010]]