5 C-130Js pour l' Armee de l'Air?

[Le Addeur noir]

Air et Cosmos reports an exclusive on the acquisition of 10 KC-130Js to refuel helicopters.

Link (en francais) ici,

http://www.air-cosmos.com/2015/04/02/31 ... e-de-c-130

However, the DGA have swiftly issued a statement denying this (aussi en francais)

http://bourse.lesechos.fr/infos-conseil ... 042310.php

The latest is that 5 KC-130Js are under consideration for the French air Force.

[stanak]

humm, erratum inside : only 5

and French government deny
http://fr.reuters.com/article/frEuroRpt ... dChannel=0

[Alpha Kilo One]

Only because they"doubt the refueling capabilities" for helos for the A-400, the article says... Tssss.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Stratofreighter]

And then there is also this plan:
http://www.janes.com/article/50876/sage ... -with-aasm

Sagem is preparing to offer an armed upgrade package for the French Air Force's Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, company officials told IHS Jane's .

The upgrade would include arming the Hercules with the SSA-1101 Gerfaut system, allowing the C-130 to carry and deploy as many as eight Sagem AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) precision guided munitions (PGMs). The SSA-1101 Gerfaut has been under development since 2012 by Sagem, Rafaut, and AA/ROK.

"We can guarantee a range of 30 km for an AASM dropped at 25,000 ft and 190 kt," a Sagem official told IHS Jane's . The company will soon make an unsolicited bid to the French defence procurement agency, the DGA, outlining its armed-Hercules proposal.

[ehusmann]

Now.... why would you want that? What does a Hercules have that a Rafale doesn't? As an attack plane that is....

Erwin

[Le Addeur noir]

humm, erratum inside : only 5

and French government deny
http://fr.reuters.com/article/frEuroRpt ... dChannel=0

Nope, the initial report referred to 10 airplanes.

Evidently the French Special Forces community regard the A400M as being too large. The C-130J is a candidate for their use as well.

[PNegri]

Am I missing something or what? This is not new the USMC has been using armed KC 130J with Hellfire missiles for awhile now. Apparently France cant afford a dedicated aircraft for each mission so why not weaponize and aircraft that is already going to be there? Inserting special forces and supporting them while there on the ground and has the range and loiter time on station longer than most other aircraft

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.defensenews.com/story/breaki ... /27652679/

1:50 p.m. EDT May 21, 2015

PARIS — France has set aside an extra €1.5 billion (US $1.7 billion) to acquire additional equipment, including the C-130 Hercules,
and maintain weapon systems over the next four years, reflecting the intense operations of the armed forces in sub-Saharan Africa, defense officials said Wednesday.

The fresh funds are part of the €3.8 billion increase in military spending for 2016-2019 that President François Hollande announced April 29 after a meeting of the high-level defense council.

Helicopters, transport and inflight refueling aircraft, intelligence gathering, cyber defense and maintenance of equipment are the key elements,
Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in the introduction to the information pack for the parliamentary review of the draft military budget law.

Of that €1.5 billion, an estimated €330 million has been set aside for a planned acquisition of four Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 transport planes,
of which two would be armed with the Griffin missile and two would be equipped for inflight refueling of helicopters, the officials said.
The four units would join the present Hercules fleet which entered service in 1987.

"A decision has not been taken but the studies have been launched" for the Hercules, with a decision due to be taken by the end of the year, an official said.

That could be a purchase or a lease of the aircraft, which could be the J or K model. There would also be an order for night-vision goggles.

The French Air Force and special forces are keen to acquire the US aircraft, needed to plug a gap left by the late delivery of the Airbus A400M transport.
The cargo planes are particularly needed to support troops in the sub-Saharan, or Sahel, campaign against Islamic insurgents.

The French forces are flying the C-130 and C-160 a great deal, and the A400M is in a different class from the former, a US official said.
The US special forces arm C-130s with the Raytheon Griffin. The Hercules is the largest item for the US on the French acquisition list.