Airforces

10 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

NEWS

// FEBRUARY 2018 #

Continental Europe

First French

C-130J-

delivered

Above: The fi rst French Air Force C-130J-30, 5836 ‘61-PO’, during its maiden fl ight from Marietta. Lockheed Martin/Todd McQueen
LOCKHEED MARTIN
C-130J-30 serial 5836 (c/n
5836) ‘61-PO’, the first for the
Armée de l’Air (AdlA, French
Air Force), was delivered to
Base Aérienne 123 Orléans-
Bricy on December 22.
The type will be based at
Orléans to begin with, but will
eventually serve at Évreux as
part of a joint Franco-German
unit to be set up with four
French and six German
C-130Js. Initial operational
capability for this unit is
planned for 2021, leading
to full operational capability
in 2024. A first inter-
governmental agreement

regarding the formation of

this unit of pooled aircraft

was signed on April 10,

2016, followed by a further

agreement in principle on

October 18, 2017. Germany

has not yet ordered its six

aircraft, but plans to do so in

2019, for delivery in 2021.

The first French aircraft

had made its maiden flight

at Marietta, Georgia, on

November 22. France’s

procurement agency, the

Direction générale de

l’armement (DGA), later

awarded the French military

type certificate to Lockheed

Martin, paving the way for

delivery. It will be flown

by Escadron de Transport

2/61 ‘Franche-Comté’ and

was due to be formally

accepted at a ceremony

in mid-January. Additional

French equipment will

be installed and tested

by the DGA before it

enters frontline service.

Serial 5836 is one of

four on order under a

contract signed by the

DGA on January 29, 2016,

covering two standard

transport C-130J-30s and

two KC-130J tankers. The

deal also includes the

support system, training of

personnel and two years

of maintenance. Lockheed

Martin was awarded a

Foreign Military Sales (FMS)

contract for production

of the two C-130J-30s

on December 1, 2016,

together with a separate

deal covering configuration

changes to all four French

aircraft. The second

C-130J-30 is due for delivery

in 2018, followed by the

two KC-130Js in 2019.

They will supplement the

current fleet of C-130Hs

and Transalls, with the

latter due for withdrawal

in 2023. Dave Allport

Bulgaria

adds second

serviceable

Mi-

A NEWLY overhauled

Mi-24 re-joined

the Bulgarski

Voennovazdushni

Sili (BVVS, Bulgarian

Air Force) fleet on

December 21. Built

in 1986, the Mi-24V

Hind-E ‘143’ (c/n

150725) was delivered

to the 24-ta aviacionna

baza (24th Air Base)

at Krumovo following

heavy maintenance at

the TEREM-LETETS

aircraft repair plant in

Sofia. Another life-cycle

extension could extend

its use until December

2024, assuming it still

has enough allocated

flight hours remaining.

The other serviceable

Bulgarian Mi-24V,

‘142’ (c/n 150724) was

redelivered to the

BVVS on November 30,

2015, following work

at TEREM-LETETS.

The helicopter is

scheduled for grounding

in February 2021.

Apart from the pair

of serviceable Hinds,

the BVVS also has

four Mi-24Vs that have

been grounded for

more than eight years.

Igor Bozinovski

Above: Royal Norwegian Air Force Falcon 20C-5 0125 fl ies over Oslo Castle during its fi nal
sortie. RNoAF/717 Skv
ROYAL NORWEGIAN Air
Force (RNoAF) Dassault
Falcon 20C-5 0125
Anna has finally been
retired after 38 years
of service and 19,
flying hours. The aircraft,
which was operated by
717 Skvadron at Oslo-
Gardermoen, made a two-
hour farewell sortie from
its base on December 14.
Although used for a
variety of missions, its

primary role was airfield

radar and approach system

calibration duties, while it

also occasionally undertook

VIP transportation. Despite

being the oldest aircraft

in the RNoAF inventory,

its calibration work

meant that it had been

constantly upgraded and

was equipped with the

most modern navigation

equipment in the RNoAF.

Its primary role ceased to

be the responsibility of the

RNoAF from December

31, enabling the aircraft to

be withdrawn from use.

Two other Falcon 20s,

electronic countermeasures

(ECM) variants 041 Hugin

and 053 Munin, remain

in RNoAF service for

electronic warfare training

and operations. It is

currently planned that

they will remain in use

until 2024. Dave Allport

Royal Norwegian Air Force

Falcon 20C-5 retired

Above: Spanish NH90 prototype GSPA01 taxies after a test

fl ight at Albacete on December 19. Of note is the new

Wescam electro-optical/infrared imaging turret on the port

side, one of the requirements of the Ejército del Aire for its

SAR helicopters. Roberto Yañez

THE SPANISH NH

prototype, GSPA01, arrived

at Airbus Helicopters’

Albacete plant in mid-

December 2017 after being

upgraded at the company’s

facilities in Marignane,

France. The helicopter

has received new avionics,

equipment and sensors so it

can serve as the prototype

for the new Spanish

Standard 2 version of the

NH90. This will be tested

before deliveries to the

Ejército del Aire (Spanish

Air Force) from 2020

onwards. Roberto Yañez

Spanish NH

Standard 2 upgrade