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Aircraft commander, has urged the UK Ministry of Defence to reconsider the early retirement of the C-130J Hercules fleet.

Seeing as how we'll probably still be flying them decades after everybody else has moved on we should probably pick these up at a bargain price, park 'em in the desert somewhere and when we're scavenging them for spares the headline doesn't have to say we're taking parts out of museum exhibits to keep the fleet in the air.
 
RedFive said:
Seeing as how we'll probably still be flying them decades after everybody else has moved on we should probably pick these up at a bargain price, park 'em in the desert somewhere and when we're scavenging them for spares the headline doesn't have to say we're taking parts out of museum exhibits to keep the fleet in the air.
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RCAF can have their pick of the used plane market. Your friendly neighborhood used plane salesman has some gently used C130J just coming up in the market.

www.flightglobal.com

Australia to replace C-130Js with new Super Hercules fleet

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will replace and expand its existing fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules tactical transports with new C-130Js.
www.flightglobal.com www.flightglobal.com
 
daftandbarmy said:
We used and abused them alot.

Based on what we did to them, I'd just kind of leave them on the kerb with a 'Free' sign on them... but whatever ;)
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Do they have tail numbers on them? If yes then we're good to go. As to pilots - how many civilian pilots are out there that have been released with time in Hercs? Sign them up as part-timers.

Do we need the extra flying hours or do we need surge capacity?
 
Spencer100 said:
RCAF can have their pick of the used plane market. Your friendly neighborhood used plane salesman has some gently used C130J just coming up in the market.

www.flightglobal.com

Australia to replace C-130Js with new Super Hercules fleet

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will replace and expand its existing fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules tactical transports with new C-130Js.
www.flightglobal.com www.flightglobal.com
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Please no. Some bonehead didn’t understand the question when Lockmart asked if they wanted the high-speed ramp. He said the ramp opens fast enough. So they’ve got the only J models in the world that can’t exceed 150 knots with the ramp open, the rest of the fleet is 250.
 
kev994 said:
Please no. Some bonehead didn’t understand the question when Lockmart asked if they wanted the high-speed ramp. He said the ramp opens fast enough. So they’ve got the only J models in the world that can’t exceed 150 knots with the ramp open, the rest of the fleet is 250.
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Why... why would Lockheed Martin even make that an option?
 
kev994 said:
Please no. Some bonehead didn’t understand the question when Lockmart asked if they wanted the high-speed ramp. He said the ramp opens fast enough. So they’ve got the only J models in the world that can’t exceed 150 knots with the ramp open, the rest of the fleet is 250.
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150 sounds like stall speed... :oops:
 
dimsum said:
150 sounds like stall speed... :oops:
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It’s ~100 it’s for stall with flaps up. The issue for TAL is that you need to slow down, so more time to shoot at you. And for SAR the maneuvering is pretty aggressive and the J doesn’t slow down very well so high chance of overspeed. H has 150 ramp speed but it slows down a lot better because the props are are attached to the engine, J is a free turbine so you can’t use the props as a brake.
 
My buddy just picked up a brand new stubby J for the USCG so they’re still making them. It had 15 hours on it (presumably some test flights by Lockheed) and no paint.
 
kev994 said:
My buddy just picked up a brand new stubby J for the USCG so they’re still making them. It had 15 hours on it (presumably some test flights by Lockheed) and no paint.
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Must have crazy endurance!
 
Spencer100 said:
We really dodged a bullet there. Just think if Xenia Onatopp had not killed the Canadian Admiral at the Tiger unveiling...we may have got them... ;)
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Killer thighs... amongst other bits ;)

Driving Pierce Brosnan GIF by James Bond 007
 
And the Aussie response ....

breakingdefense.com

Aussies tap Lockheed for 20 C-130s for AUD $9.8B, boosting reach, flexibility - Breaking Defense

"They've got better electronic warfare self protection, they've got better performance and they've got stronger airframes," said defense procurement minister Pat Conroy about the C-130Js. "So, while it's got the same name, it's a better aircraft."
breakingdefense.com breakingdefense.com

SYDNEY — Australia, continuing to make good on its pledges to boost the country’s strategic reach, will buy an additional eight C-130Js for its fleet, boosting the number to 20, defense procurement minister Pat Conroy announced today.

“This investment of $9.8 billion AUD [$6.61 billion US] will almost double the fleet and represents a massive uplift in capability in mobility and transport for the Royal Australian Air Force,” Conroy told reporters. “So, in future, when we need to help out our region or transport troops and equipment around the world, it’ll be these new Hercules aircraft that are there.”

Deliveries will start in 2027 and the first 12 will arrive by 2030, Conroy said.

“Almost doubling the fleet gives us more capacity to deploy them on multiple operations at the same time. And that’s the critical driver,” he said. “We’ve got the C-17s as well, the Globe Masters, and the smaller [C-27J] Spartans, but the Hercs are the right size to do lots of jobs. They’ve got a great range, they can land in unprepared fields. So, advice from Defence was that there’d be a very significant increase in capability by almost doubling the fleet.”

Australia’s hopes to buy C-130s aren’t a total surprise, even if the details had not been officially released. In November, the US State Department notified the US Congress it had approved a potential sale, although that notice covered 24 planes. Asked why the government decided to go for only 20, Conroy said the final decision came down to military needs.

“The 20 is the right number, based on (departmental) advice. And these aircraft are a significant upgrade on the C-130J’s that are in service at the moment. They’ve got better electronic warfare self protection, they’ve got better performance and they’ve got stronger airframes. So, while it’s got the same name, it’s a better aircraft,” he said. “And Defence went through an exhaustive process of comparing other capabilities, other options that are out there on the global market. And I can say hand on heart that the Hercules are the best aircraft for what we need.”

Lockheed Martin Australia CEO Warren Macdonald noted in a statement that the aircraft could be particularly useful for supporting operations across northern Australia, “the importance of which was highlighted in the Defence Strategic Review.”
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8x King Airs
3x Dassault Falcon
2x 737
7x KC30-A
8x C17
12 going on 20-32x C130Js
10x C27J
 
Kirkhill said:
And the Aussie response ....

breakingdefense.com

Aussies tap Lockheed for 20 C-130s for AUD $9.8B, boosting reach, flexibility - Breaking Defense

"They've got better electronic warfare self protection, they've got better performance and they've got stronger airframes," said defense procurement minister Pat Conroy about the C-130Js. "So, while it's got the same name, it's a better aircraft."
breakingdefense.com breakingdefense.com



8x King Airs
3x Dassault Falcon
2x 737
7x KC30-A
8x C17
12 going on 20-32x C130Js
10x C27J
Click to expand...

RCAF

? King Airs....its a secret
4x Bombardier Challangers
4x A310 but adding new
5x C17
17x C130J
12x C130H
16x C-295
4x DHC twin otters
4x DHC dash 8
 
Spencer100 said:
RCAF

? King Airs....its a secret
4x Bombardier Challangers
4x A310 but adding new
5x C17
17x C130J
12x C130H
16x C-295
4x DHC twin otters
4x DHC dash 8
Click to expand...

When you put it that way, especially with the 9 new MRTTs on delivery, pretty comparable.
 
Kirkhill said:
When you put it that way, especially with the 9 new MRTTs on delivery, pretty comparable.
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And if we manage to get the full 16 x P-8's from the RFI then we'll even beat the Aussies there
 
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