An opportunity to sell 115 turboprop tankers to the US Air Force has sparked potential bids from prime contractors based on refurbishing retired Lockheed Martin C-130s.
Northrop Grumman and Snow Aviation have confirmed teaming together to potentially offer refurbished C-130s, using Snow's concept for a new wing design and Northrop's cockpit from the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. Boeing is also understood to be preparing a bid based on refurbished C-130s.
The question is whether the customer is interested enough to buy used aircraft, even if they can be refurbished to near-zero time standards. So far, USAF officials have publicly singled out only new aircraft, such as the Lockheed C-130J and Airbus Military A400M, as potential candidates for the contract.
The aircraft order would replace the current fleet of MC-130E/P and HC-130N/P tankers in use by the Air Force Special Operations Command and Air Combat Command's search-and-rescue teams.
However, the A400M development schedule is "out of phase by two years" with the air force's acquisition timeline, EADS North America chief executive Ralph Crosby said last month. Meanwhile, the C-130J is likely to be challenged by the smaller Alenia Aeronautica C-27J Spartan and perhaps EADS Casa's C-295.
The air force's intentions will become clear when a draft request for proposals is issued. The release could be delayed as the office managing the programme is also responsible for managing the ongoing acquisition of a combat search-and-rescue helicopter fleet.
The Northrop/Snow team plans to offer refurbished C-130s with either Pratt & Whitney Canada PWC150 or Rolls-Royce AE2100 engines, says Paul Rumple, of Northrop Grumman California Microwave, which is the unit leading the campaign. Either engine would be fitted with the Hamilton Sundstrand NP2000 propeller.
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Source: FlightGlobal.com
