Discussion
This has me wondering. The C-130 is well proven, with (I assume) plenty of life left in it. The A400M new, with all the teething troubles that brings.
What do those in the forces (those who use them and depend upon them!) prefer? Older/simpler/proven platforms, or the latest and greatest battlefield bling?
What do those in the forces (those who use them and depend upon them!) prefer? Older/simpler/proven platforms, or the latest and greatest battlefield bling?
Jimbo. said:
This has me wondering. The C-130 is well proven, with (I assume) plenty of life left in it. The A400M new, with all the teething troubles that brings.
What do those in the forces (those who use them and depend upon them!) prefer? Older/simpler/proven platforms, or the latest and greatest battlefield bling?
The issue is the A400 is not a like for like replacement of the Herc.What do those in the forces (those who use them and depend upon them!) prefer? Older/simpler/proven platforms, or the latest and greatest battlefield bling?
Its a politics f
k up as per usual.Airbus designed the A400 as a strategic airlifter that would enable many European airforces that couldn't afford, and didn't need the expensive heavy lift strategic capabilites that buying C-17 would have given them.
UK bought into this with view of buying A400 for that task and keeping the C130 for what it was good at, i.e tactical ops, which most of the existing European airforces were going to do (or buy C-27 for tact use)
However, because of our politicians getting our mil involved in Iraq2 and Afgan post 9/11, the RAF needed strat lift, which is why we leased some C-17's.
What then happened was we clearly needed that strat lift capability for a lot longer (and with A400 now where to be seen on the horiz) we bought the leased C17's and ordered a couple more before the line closed down.
At that point common sense should have prevailed, and we should have have pulled out of any future A400 buy, and ordered half a dozen or more extra C17 to keep the line open, and that would have provided UK strat air lift, keeping C130 for the tact role which it excels at, and which A400 wasn't really designed for (it was not designed as a C130 replacement)
We didn't though (European politics took priority) and have now pretty much flogged to death our too small fleet of C17's (they are all the highest houred C17's in the world) and most likely as per E-3D fleet, they won't get any money spent on mid-life upgrade) and they will all get prematurely retired in 5 years time, leaving just a A400 fleet that can only do strategic lift and very limited tactical, because we have also got rid of our tact air C130 fleet.
This is what happens when you let the lunatics run the asylum.
Edited by aeropilot on Sunday 11th June 18:13
Yertis said:
While agreeing that the Government are idiots, are the C130s not pretty much shagged out by now anyway?
Hardly, the MOD have just put all of them through a £110m wing-box renewal program at Marshall's, so they had years of life left in them, thats why they will be snapped up by other air forces.Edited by aeropilot on Monday 12th June 17:10
aeropilot said:
Yertis said:
While agreeing that the Government are idiots, are the C130s not pretty much shagged out by now anyway?
Hardly, the MOD have just put all of them through a �110m wing-box renewal program at Marshall's, so they had years of life left in them, thats why they will be snapped up by other air forces.(I really should keep closer tabs on this sort of thing...
)Yertis said:
aeropilot said:
Yertis said:
While agreeing that the Government are idiots, are the C130s not pretty much shagged out by now anyway?
Hardly, the MOD have just put all of them through a ?110m wing-box renewal program at Marshall's, so they had years of life left in them, thats why they will be snapped up by other air forces.They sold one of the J's to the Blue Angel's to be their new support Herc a few years back.
All the older Herc's were retired some years back.
Yertis said:
While agreeing that the Government are idiots, are the C130s not pretty much shagged out by now anyway?
Supplementary question – is the C130 production line still open?
Australia is buying 24 new C130J Hercules to replace the 12 old ones which were built about 20 years ago. Supplementary question – is the C130 production line still open?
motomk said:
Yertis said:
While agreeing that the Government are idiots, are the C130s not pretty much shagged out by now anyway?
Supplementary question – is the C130 production line still open?
Australia is buying 24 new C130J Hercules to replace the 12 old ones which were built about 20 years ago. Supplementary question – is the C130 production line still open?
I see one of these on a regular basis flying down the Menai Straits fairly low. My office is near the bridges and you can tell when it's close as the engines rumble, must be great fun for the pilots and everyone on board!
Not sure why it flys so low down the straits roughly once a month tho?
Not sure why it flys so low down the straits roughly once a month tho?
bluey1905 said:
I've just seen 3 Hercules in formation at pretty low level heading north over Blandford in Dorset, I knew there was a flypast but thought it was on Wednesday?
Practice run I assume - they were very low around Brize and Burford today, and did a pass of Fairford as well. Nice little morning airshow, given they followed an overflight from a pair of B1's out of Fairford - forgot how loud they are!
u-boat said:
ecsrobin said:
Looks awesome!3 ship so hopefully noisy enough also. Obviously no where near as noisy as the enemy waking A400M though!
Byker28i said:
Timings up and the route here:
https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/a-flypast-to-...
Did you find that link in the 3rd post of this thread https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/a-flypast-to-...
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