Germany's air force is hoping to acquire up to four more Airbus Industrie A310s to bolster its fleet of long range air transport aircraft in the face of increasing logistics demands.
The creation of a German rapid reaction force, as well as humanitarian operations, has led to increased transport and airlift requirements. Lt Col Jurgen Engelmann, operations officer with the air force's air transport staff, says, however, that"-our biggest concern is going to be the supply of the recently established tactical training unit at Holloman AFB in New Mexico".
This unit is building up to a total of 42 Panavia Tornado interdictor strike aircraft and 24 McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantoms. "We have calculated that 400 passengers, 20t of cargo and two engines will need to be transported each month," says Engelmann.
In meeting this requirement, he says, the air force wants to "procure at least an additional two A310s, and ideally four", to add to its fleet of five A310s.
Although the service initially planned to purchase the aircraft in 1998, the first two of the desired four A310s will not now be bought until the end of 1999. These aircraft will replace the air force's two Boeing 707s, which are to be retired at the end of 1999.
Two of the existing A310s are to be modified to a convertible freighter configuration. These aircraft are also planned to be modified further by Airbus in 2003 to tanker/transports.
The air force had considered modifying its 707s for tanker needs, but this option was discounted because of their age.
Source: Flight International
