*Sources: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - June 18, 2009: Lockheed Martin sees potential acquisition of the C-130J between the low single figures to 20 units from countries looking for a stopgap solution for the A400M, James Grant, vice president for customer engagement air mobility and special forces programs, said at the Paris Air Show.
U.S Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules is seen during its exhibition flight at the 48th Paris Air Show in Le Bourget airport , north of Paris. Wednesday June 17, 2009. With Airbus' new A400M airlifter bogged down in delivery delays, Lockheed-Martin and Boeing are hoping their proven C-130J and C-17 models will lure European air force buyers in urgent need of a new transport. Lockheed Martin sees potential acquisition of the C-130J between the low single figures to 20 units from countries looking for a stopgap solution for the A400M, a Lockheed official says. ( ALAN LESSIG / STAFF)
The prospective acquisition likely would be leases from customer nations while they await delivery of the A400M airlifter, he said June 16. Britain and France are among the seven European A400M customers actively looking at the C-130J as an interim solution.
"France is evaluating its options," Grant said. "We are ready to support them with whatever they need." He added, "They have to do their own analysis on how to meet their aircraft requirements both near and long term."
A key part of the assessment process is availability of the C-130J. Deliveries of the C-130J would take 30 to 36 months, depending on the configuration, and numbers of orders placed by other countries, said Ross Reynolds, vice president of C-130J programs. Lockheed wants to ramp up production in an orderly way, to avoid disruptions in the supply chain or creation of a fleet of "white-tail" aircraft on the tarmac.
One of the possibilities of speeding delivery to France or other foreign customers would be for the U.S. government to re-allocate aircraft on order.
"If the U.S. government wants to, it can prioritize French acquisition, so a delivery could take months rather than years," said Robbin Laird, head of the ICSA consultancy based here and Washington. An acquisition of the C-130J would allow France to obtain a gap filler but also a long-term capability to complement the A400M in areas such as special operations, he said.
If the French forces operated the C-130J in Afghanistan, it is likely they would look at how the U.S. Marine Corps has used its aircraft, and develop their own operations from that model.
Grant said in any European acquisition, the primary mission is airlift in the lease period. If any aircraft are bought at the end of the lease, it probably would be in that latter period, and the planes would be used for ISR or other multimission operations. Lockheed is marketing conversion of the airframe into multimission applications with a system of roll-on roll-off pallets.
As part of the U.S. marketing effort, French Air Force officers were due to fly on the C-130J on June 17 at the air show. Lockheed also planned to take journalists up on a morning flight June 18.
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