French Airforce C-130J/ KC-130J 2018

neptune · by **neptune** » 02 Jan 2018, 17:51

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... rt-444553/

France receives first C-130J transport

02 January, 2018
BY: Craig Hoyle

London
France's first Lockheed Martin C-130J was delivered to its Orléans air base on 22 December 2017. Carrying the service registration 61-PO, the tactical transport is the first of four C-130Js being acquired by Paris. Its second airlifter will be received later this year, while a pair of KC-130J tanker/transports – needed to refuel combat helicopters in-flight – are to follow during 2019. The first delivery followed the approval of type certification for the new-generation Hercules by France's DGA defence procurement agency, under a procurement approved in January 2016.

Meanwhile, France's SIAé support body has awarded Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group a contract to provide engineering services for the French air force's 14-strong fleet of C-130H transports. The UK company says the deal will "ensure the delivery of support to the French air force C-130H aircraft to enable improved availability". Its contract – the value of which has not been disclosed – will cover a transition period, "followed by four years of full service delivery, with two additional option periods", it adds. Flight Fleets Analyzer shows France's legacy Hercules as being aged between 26 and 42 years.

wbh · by **wbh** » 04 Jan 2018, 22:17

Hooray for Lockheed !! This looks like the C-130 beat out the highly touted Airbus A-300 ! I've been with C-130's for 54 years and seen contenders come & go such as the YC-14 and YC-15. When I was at Edwards testing the DC-130 H Prototype in 1976,the YC's were there and we heard (unofficially of course ) of numerous shortcomings .I knew then that the "Herk" was here to stay.

h-bomb · by **h-bomb** » 05 Jan 2018, 06:28

Not so much that they beat the A400. The A400 cannot actually perform the tactical missions that they claimed, and be a strategic transports. Too many missions in one platform...

wbh · by **wbh** » 07 Jan 2018, 13:41

" IT's hard to beat a Herc " I think that I might have trained the first Frenchman to fly a Herc . During 1975 I was in Gabon Training the Gabonese and there was one French Pilot attached to the GAF . His name is Lt. De'Leage , good pilot , qualified him on LAC 4582 , TRKKA , now Tepper L-100-30.

wbh · by **wbh** » 24 Jan 2018, 00:21

To H-Bomb The C-130A started out strictly as an in Theater short range tactical transport , airdrop , forward unimproved airstrips etc . The "B" was an improved "A'' with slightly longer range .Then along came the C-130E with long range capability ,Strategic Transport. The original "E's" were equally divided between TAC & MATS , for Tactical & long range missions . Then came joint TAC/MATS Missions such as Operation Delawar. This being a joint mission TAC , MATS & NAVY MATS ,100 ship "E" model formation mission from Incerlic . Turkey to Hamadan Iran in support of the Shah.The mission airdropped 101St Airborne Div Troops. That day the C-130 E 's & up proved the versitility of the C-130 , the rest is history. No other design can match that ,Lockheed got it right.

h-bomb · by **h-bomb** » 01 Feb 2018, 05:04

Looks like Germany may be in the market for KC-130J's if this can be believed.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... vy-445386/

wbh · by **wbh** » 01 Feb 2018, 15:46

I heard that earlier. Face it Airbus you can't get there from here.

h-bomb · by **h-bomb** » 08 Feb 2020, 03:27

Hello. Anyone know why the French C-130Js have black ray domes? TIA