France requests extra C-130s from US
Frédéric Lert, Bordeaux - IHS Jane's Navy International
12 November 2015
The DSCA announced on November 10 that the State Department had approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to France of four Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft for an estimated cost of USD650 million.
The sale includes two C-130J transport and two KC-130J tanker/transport aircraft and associated equipment, parts, and logistical support.
The French air force is requesting the four aircraft to supplement its fast aging C160 Transall fleet, delays to the Airbus A400M transport aircraft and the low availability of its current fleet of 14 C-130H fleet, which have an average age of 27.
The acquisition of the four supplemental aircraft features prominently on a French shopping list worth EUR1.5 billion (USD1.6 million), made possible by the latest update to France's military programming law (LPM). However from this amount, as little as EUR330 million may be available to spend on the four aircraft according to French media reports - not enough for new aircraft, spares, and training.
As an alternative to the purchase of new C-130J aircraft the French defence procurement agency (the DGA) is also evaluating the possibility of buying four second hand C-130H aircraft, an option not favoured by the French air force. A decision whether to buy new C-130J or second hand C-130H, or a mix of the two, is expected by the year's end. The possibility of leasing four aircraft has been mentioned in the past, but now seems less likely.
http://www.janes.com/article/55936/france-requests-extra-c-130s-from-us
