STUTTGART, Germany – After a number of years of planning, the French and German air forces have formally launched a binational tactical air transport squadron beginning this month, with plans to totally set up the brand new unit inside three years.
French Protection Minister Florence Parly and German Protection Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer signed an settlement Aug. 30 to formally create a joint C-130J squadron primarily based at Evreux Air Base in Normandy. The nations’ pilots will then practice in blended groups “with out distinction of nationality,” the 2 protection ministries stated in a joint launch.
The squadron will encompass 10 C-130J plane, constructed by Lockheed Martin, together with six from Germany and 4 from France. The 4 French plane have been operational and primarily based at Evreux since June 2021, the nation’s ministry of protection stated in an e-mail. A kind of 4 plane has been deployed within the Sahel area since summer season 2020; two of the 4 C-130Js can be utilized as aerial refuelers for helicopters.
The German air pressure procured their six C-130J plane in 2019, with half of the plane to be outfitted as KC-130J refuelers and the opposite half within the C-130J-30 variant. The primary of these Tremendous Hercules plane rolled off the Lockheed Martin manufacturing line this previous July, according to the Luftwaffe.
The middle will attain preliminary working functionality (IOC) when the primary German C-130J plane arrives at Evreux, round February 2022, the German air pressure stated. Till then, airmen from the 2 international locations will practice on the 4 French Tremendous Hercules plane presently on base.
Full operational functionality is anticipated round 2024. The German C-130Js will likely be able to tackle missions quickly after they’re delivered to the French air base between 2022 and 2024, per the French protection ministry.
“The French and German plane variations are very shut, permitting the Franco-German groups to indiscriminately fly one plane or one other,” a French protection ministry spokesperson stated in an e-mail.
This binational squadron has been within the works for a number of years now. France and Germany signed the primary intergovernmental accord on the topic in 2017, which involved the monetary elements of the infrastructure and the joint coaching middle, per a spokesperson for the German Ministry of Protection. The primary accord additionally set the squadron cap at 260 personnel, based on the French Ministry of Protection.
Lockheed Martin is on contract to construct and equip the brand new C-130J coaching middle at Evreux. The ministries didn’t disclose monetary numbers by this text’s deadline, however AIN On-line reported in 2018 that every nation anticipated to contribute 110 million euro ($130 million) for infrastructure enhancements to the air base.
The ministries lauded the signing of the settlement as “a brand new main space of cooperation between France and Germany” on Tuesday. “Whereas retaining the potential of finishing up missions inside a purely nationwide framework, that is the primary time an air pressure squadron is ready to perform operational missions with blended crews, on French and German plane,” the businesses stated within the assertion.
Vivienne Machi is a reporter primarily based in Stuttgart, Germany, contributing to Protection Information’ European protection. She beforehand reported for Nationwide Protection Journal, Protection Each day, By way of Satellite tv for pc, International Coverage and the Dayton Each day Information. She was named the Defence Media Awards’ greatest younger protection journalist in 2020.