Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
Political pressure is mounting on the US Air Force to accelerate its planned purchase of additional new Lockheed Martin C-130J transports by up to four years to fill a shortfall in orders after 2000 and a threatened temporary shutdown in production.
Lockheed Martin has existing orders in hand for 83 C-130J/-30s, including 55 for the Italian air force, RAF and Royal Australian Air Force, all of which will be delivered by 2004.
The USAF is being asked to advance its next planned purchase from fiscal year 2004 to 2000 as a result. "This is an option we're looking at because Lockheed Martin is saying it will take $500 million to start up production again," says the USAF.
The USAF is also being warned that any C-130J production stoppage will affect the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 programme as a consequence of higher plant overheads. "They're pulling out all the stops to ensure the C-130J will continue," says an air force source.
USAF orders to date number 15, a further eight are destined for the US Air National Guard (ANG) and the US Marine Corps has ordered five. A further seven aircraft have been appropriated for funding in 1999, but not yet contracted for and comprise three C-130Js and an EC-130J for the ANG, one WC-130J for the reserve and two KC-130Js for the US Marine Corps.
Long-term USAF plans call for the replacement of the force's early build C-130Es with the stretch C-130J-30, estimated at up to 150 aircraft required. The US Marines also want to replace the fleet of 77 equally elderly KC-130F aerial refuelling aircraft with new KC-130Js, while the US Navy could order its first C-130Js in 2001. The air force, however, is no hurry to order large numbers of new transports.
"The air force only ever asked for four aircraft out of the 35 appropriated through to Fiscal year 1999, Congress added the rest," says a USAF source.
The air force had tentatively planned to order the first eight C-130Js in 2004 and then up to 12 a year thereafter, which could also include foreign military sales. In return for an accelerated buy, the air force say it is looking for added funding from Congress and "at least a 10% cut in the aircraft's $52.9 million unit cost".
Source: Flight International
