Andy Naviti/GENOA
The Italian Air Force is considering its long-term options for structuring the military transport fleet following a commitment to acquire 16 Airbus Military Company A400Ms. Unusually for a European air force, Rome is struggling with an excess of resources, having ordered or committed to the LMATTS C-27J Spartan, Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules and A400M.
The best supported solution is that the air force retain its order programme and eventually either sell part of its C-130J fleet or assign aircraft to a yet to be formed joint European transport force.
The Italian air force has orders for 20 C-130Js with options for a further four, while Alenia - supported by the industry ministry which is prepared to pay the air force's non-recurring costs - is also pushing for confirmation of a deal to acquire the C-27J. Nominally this is for 12 aircraft, although there is provision for a further six.
Most of the Hercules will be the stretched C-130J-30s and all have been ordered with a comprehensive self-defence suite and a number of air-to-air refuelling pods are to be bought. The first was delivered recently.
Previous planning by the air force sought around 40 transports. The new number envisaged is considered too large for a medium sized force.
In addition the 50-52 aircraft committment is too many for the Pisa transport base to accommodate, requiring the costly establishment of a second airfield. Also the air force does not have the personnel or other resources to operate the additional transports.
Complicating matters further is the air force's desire to order this year between four and eight new tanker/transports - either Airbus A310s or Boeing 767s - to replace the four elderly Boeing 707s now in service.
The air force is demanding that its first A400M should not be delivered until 2014, seven years after the UK is likely to receive the first aircraft. Italy is also pushing for the formation of a European transport force at an early stage.
The push by Rome to acquire the A400M is part of a drive to ensure Alenia does not lose ground to tactical transport rival CASA, which is now part of EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space) and which will perform A400M final assembly. The Italian order gives Alenia around 7% workshare on the projected 225 aircraft programme.
Some defence ministry officials wish to kill the C-27J acquisition as they fear that too many air force programmes are receiving industry ministry money, that move is being resisted by the air force and industry. A proposal to reduce theC-130J order was found to be uneconomical.
The Alenia/Lockheed Martin LMATTS joint venture to develop the C-27J, an updated G222, was part of the C-130J offset deal. Italy currently operates a mixed force of G222s and C-130s.
Further concerns have been raised because the industry ministry's A400Mmoney is not additional funding and other programmes will have budgets cut in order to pay for the transport.
This could affect the level of Alenia's participation in the Airbus A3XX airliner and Italy's plan to acquire 12-14 maritime patrol aircraft to replace its Dassault Atlantics.
Source: Flight International