It's flying soon: German-French C-130J transport squadron

Thales and Rheinmetall have been tasked with certifying the future training center for the German-French C-130J transport aircraft fleet. Both companies are acting as subcontractors to Lockheed Martin, the main contractor for the German-French training center and manufacturer of the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft.

According to the contract awarded in March 2021, Rheinmetall and Thales will provide personnel for the certification of the training organization and deliver other services. The qualification of the training center is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024, with training operations commencing later in 2024. An optional operational phase could follow. If the operational phase is commissioned, Thales and Rheinmetall would provide staff for managing the training facility, qualified instructors for training aircrews and ground crews, and maintenance personnel to operate all training facilities.

The training center is set to be built in Évreux, France, which is the location of the 62nd Transport Squadron of the French Armée de l'Air. This transport squadron includes French and German C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The associated training center will be certified and operated as an Approved Training Organization (ATO), with certification carried out by the French civil aviation authority DGAC.

The German-French transport aircraft fleet project is a key initiative in the field of the air force. Starting in 2021, Germany and France plan to jointly operate a total of ten C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in Évreux, France. The plan includes shared cockpit crews as well as mixed ground teams. France has acquired a total of four Super Hercules aircraft. Germany is contributing six aircraft to the joint squadron, which will be delivered starting in 2022. These six aircraft will replace the Transall C-160.

Rheinmetall and Thales already have a successful cooperation in the field of German-French aircrew training. They operate the ARGE Tiger Aircrew Training Means, which is responsible for training the German and French crews of the Tiger attack helicopter.

Rheinmetall Website: www.rheinmetall.com

THALES Website: www.thalesgroup.com