EADS: USAF can buy 118 A400Ms with savings from C-130, C-5 retirements

Flightglobal ^ | 02/19/2010 | Stephen Trimble

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

EADS North America has offered a plan for the US Air Force to purchase 118 Airbus A400Ms using savings from retiring most Lockheed Martin C-130Hs and all C-5As.

The EADS proposal was submitted last year to the Air Mobility Command (AMC) upon their request, says Neil F. Smith, director of A400M programme for EADS NA.

The concept proposes to stand-up about eight squadrons of A400Ms within the US mobility force structure, Smith says. "We get a very good reception" at AMC, Smith says.

EADS has been seeking to introduce the A400M in the US market for several years, arguing that the increasing size of ground vehicles has out-grown the box size of Lockheed's C-130. The A400M features a 3.96m (13ft) cabin diameter, versus the C-130 family's 2.74m-wide cargo bay.

The size difference would allow the army to load an armoured Stryker vehicle on the A400M, Smith says.

In response, a Lockheed executive challenged EADS' assumptions about the cost of the A400M, especially with the programme currently in negotiations with European governments over a reportedly $7 billion cost overrun.

"I think that's the ultimate in fuzzy math," says Jim Grant, Lockheed vice president of business development for air mobility and special operations programmes.

Despite the ongoing uncertainty about the programme's financing, EADS plans to continue making a big push in the US market. One of the programme's test aircraft could even travel to the US in early 2011 for a marketing tour, the company says.

[ICE-FLYER]

Keep Dreaming Airbus and EADS

[neodad]

In this economy why would the DOD purchase any major systems from EADS?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

There is a possibility that Gates will make a purchase from EADS. I would make it from Boeing

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I agree

[Cheerio]

Oh yea, that will go over like a lead balloon for the “Buy America” crowd. Couldn’t even agree to a US Manufactured boom and electronics on a Airbus “green” tanker

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I prefer Boeing.

[rbosque]

Don’t the Airbus tails have a tendency to break off during stressful turns?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I have heard that.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

What a load of crap.You will never get the service life out of that plastic crap as you have and will with metal aircraft.Manmade global warming of the aviation industry.

[TheBattman]

I would make it from Boeing

That's all well and good -but does Boeing actually manufacture an aircraft in that class? A heavy-hauler turbo-prop with similar specs?

And no - I am not an EADS fan by any stretch.

[lewislynn]

All idiotic euoropean economic thinking aside, why would we want to retire C130’s and C5’s ?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I do not know why? Those planes are in good working condition.

[SeeSharp]

Retire the Herkybird? Aren’t we still buying those?

[NonValueAdded]

All idiotic euoropean economic thinking aside, why would we want to retire C130’s and C5’s ?

If the size comparison data is accurate and the C-130 can't carry strykers, OK they have a point. But C-5s? The behemoth of the sky? dunno.

[prophetic]

so in the middle of a recession and with all the crap from the ONE about creating & saving jobs, this idiot of a Defense Sec wants to outsource the Air Force requisition purchasing equipment to Europe??

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

C-130J Super Hercules is the latest model but has not gone into production

[Solitar]

We need a hundred more C-17s, not a hundred A400Ms or C-130 size cargo aircraft.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Gates has thrown roadblock after roadblock in front of Boeing.

[Sequoyah101]

We can’t even build our own dam airplanes?

NO.

[Still Thinking]

Don’t the Airbus tails have a tendency to break off during stressful turns?

Not that I know of, but their control software seems to take a shit at the most inopportune times.

[Doc91678]

There's no big mystery to the enlarged Airbus A400M.
Our military should not outsource it purchases to other countries.
As it appears, the A400M will need improved runways and will not be able to compete with the C-130 Herc. Time for Lockheed and Boeing to make their submissions for the replacement aircraft.
Gates is out of his ever loving mind to outsource this. The next thing will be buying Chinese or Russian made aircraft to replace the F-22 and F35.

[Still Thinking]

so in the middle of a recession and with all the crap from the ONE about creating & saving jobs, this idiot of a Defense Sec wants to outsource the Air Force requisition purchasing equipment to Europe??

Plus it'd probably come with the avionic equivalent of OnScar. Get in a war with Germany and all your cargo planes mysteriously keep going for a swim mid-Atlantic.

[Doc91678]

There's no big mystery to the enlarged Airbus A400M.
Our military should not outsource it purchases to other countries.
As it appears, the A400M will need improved runways and will not be able to compete with the C-130 Herc. Time for Lockheed and Boeing to make their submissions for the replacement aircraft.
Gates is out of his ever loving mind to outsource this. The next thing will be buying Chinese or Russian made aircraft to replace the F-22 and F35.

[PAR35]

C-130J Super Hercules is the latest model but has not gone into production

Looks like your info is a little more than a decade out of date.

"The latest C-130 to be produced, the C-130J entered the inventory in February 1999."
http://www.403wg.afrc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3444

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I am sorry. Thank you very much for the correction.

:)

[NYFreeper]

C-130J Super Hercules is the latest model but has not gone into production

The C-130J is in production. Being flown by the USAF and others right now.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I am sorry. Thank you very much for the correction.

:)

[NYFreeper]

No sweat, your welcome.

[lewislynn]

f the size comparison data is accurate and the C-130 can't carry strykers, OK they have a point. But C-5s? The behemoth of the sky? dunno.

If I'm not mistaken the C-130 is one of the finest aircraft ever built and unless all cargo is C-5 size it makes no sense.

What next? Retire pick-ups and buy more 5 tons tonnes...from europe?

[OCC]

Vs

I don't think so.

[PAR35]

And while I’m fact checking,

“The A400M features a 3.96m (13ft) cabin diameter, versus the C-130 family’s 2.74m-wide cargo bay. “

The C-130 is only 2.74m high, but it is 3.12 meters wide. Don’t know if the Airbus numbers are correct.

[Irenic]

Any review this to see how bad they’re chopping? It’s terrible.

http://www.defense.gov/qdr/images/QDR_as_of_12Feb10_1000.pdf

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[antiRepublicrat]

And just what is the need for something in this range? We have somewhat less capacity in the small, cheap, abundant C-130, and a hell of a lot more in the somewhat bigger C-17 (in which we can carry up to an M-1). Why do we need this middle-sized plane?

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Secretary Gates would have the answers to all these questions. And they are good questions too.

[Ronin]

I’d go for the AN-70 over the Airbus.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Nice size plane

[diogenes ghost]

"C-130J .....has not gone into production."

Uhhhh...been in production for over ten years.

[A.A. Cunningham]

C-130J Super Hercules is the latest model but has not gone into production

BS

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I have already been corrected in a previous post

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I have already been corrected in a previous post

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I have already been corrected in a previous post

[rbosque]

There was a report a month ago on the subject but i don’t remember from whom.

[antiRepublicrat]

As it appears, the A400M will need improved runways

If the A400M can't take off and land pretty much anywhere then we shouldn't even consider it. Hell, can an A400M do this?

[Wiz]

No sh*t! That program is under crisis with engine failures and risking chance to be unable to enter military service. If USAF needed 40t class transport, we just need to bring back Hanoi Taxi! We already got our own C-130J and don’t need those.

[Wiz]

A400M is not a counterpart of C-130J, but rather a counterpart of C-141 Starlifter in payload, at least in spec of the A400M, which is currently overestimated with lack of power of the engine. I believe we should build updated C-141 Starlifters and sell them to Europe to provide an alternative to the dead A400M.

[RayChuang88]

Fat chance, EADS. The C-17 Globemaster III line is still open and it's far more likely that we could see additional follow-on orders for the C-17 to replace the oldest C-5's instead of buying the A400M.

[ASOC]

Instead of the old 141, do what the Russians are doing, buy more IL-76. Cheaper option even.

I have worked with this A/C very imressive and can use unimporved field, does not need specialty ground equipment and so on.

OTOH, nothing so sweet as the roar of 4 turoprops in full reverse and knowing your ride back home as arrived...

[Red6]

lol