The U.K. Puts 14 C-130Js Up for Sale
The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD) has officially put the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) 14 Lockheed Martin C-130Js (i.e., 13 C-130J-30s and 1 C-130J) Hercules transport aircraft up for sale. The RAF will retire its C-130Js by 2023 and, in turn, replace those aircraft with the Airbus A400M Atlas.
This move comes as part of a strategic move to consolidate its air transport and logistics fleet on a fewer key platforms, namely the A400M, Boeing C-17, and Airbus A330.
The RAF had ordered 10 C-130J and 15 C-130J-30s (the stretched variant of the C-130J with a fuselage that is 15 ft longer) in 1994. The first C-130J joined the RAF in 1999. Originally, the RAF was planning to phase its last remaining C-130J/J-30s by 2030, but this was shortened to 2023.
However, the RAF’s fleet-reduction plans are not without controversy. Not only would retiring the C-130Js and C-130J-30s reduce the RAF’s fixed-wing transport fleet by 23%, but it would totally eliminate the RAF’s dedicated ability for medium-weight, tactical-lift operations. Some analysts believe that the larger A400M is not an efficient way of replacing the capability loss that will emerge from retiring the C-130J/J-30s.
It will also be interesting to see which countries will seek these C-130s. Bangladesh acquired the previous batch of ex-RAF C-130Js. Thus, it might seek to build its Hercules fleet through these additional aircraft. In addition, the Indian Air Force (IAF) might be interested as it operates a near-identical type already.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has also been on the search for surplus C-130s. However, the C-130J and C-130J are different from the legacy models (i.e., C-130B/E/H) the PAF already operates. Thus, the C-130J-series would amount to a net-new acquisition should the PAF go that route. In all likelihood, the PAF will likely prefer acquiring additional C-130Hs as it could get more utility from its existing maintenance set-up.
Russia Leans on Iranian Loitering Munitions and Drones
In recent weeks, Russia has started relying on Iran for the supply of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). These include the Mohajer-6 tactical drone as well as the Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 loitering munitions.
The Mohajer-6 is reportedly a 600-700 kg drone capable of carrying certain precision-guided munitions, such as anti-tank missiles. Its primary purpose is intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), but it is capable of firing guided munitions when necessary. This drone is similar to the Turkish Bayraktar TB2.
However, the bulk of the news coverage is going towards the Shahed-131 and Shahed-136. According to Ukraine, the Russians have been using these loitering munitions to attack critical infrastructure, especially Ukraine’s energy grid. While Russia has been using the Shahed-series (renamed Geran) effectively, Kyiv is working to understand how to counter these specific models.
One thing Ukraine has noticed after dismantling several downed Shahed/Geran munitions is these drones largely use civilian-grade components or inputs. Thus, these drones are susceptible to electronic warfare and directed energy-based drone countermeasures.
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