RAF TO RETIRE C130J FLEET
The entire fleet of the transporter plane favoured by the SAS is to be grounded, despite fears the cost-cutting move will put soldiers’ lives at risk.
Retiring all 14 of the ‘Super Hercules’ C-130Js, repeatedly used on Special Forces operations against IS in Iraq and Syria would also jeopardise hundreds of UK defence jobs. The aircraft is loved by soldiers for being easy to take off and land in rugged, hostile environments and for its anti-detection technology, protecting them from rocket attacks. Now a much larger, apparently less well-suited aircraft the Airbus-manufactured A400M – will be trusted to fly troops behind enemy lines.
The C-130J’s retirement is part of the UK government’s integrated review of defence spending, which is also likely to include a cut of 10,000 soldiers, fewer tanks and armoured vehicles and the withdrawal of RAF fighter jets. Scrapping the C130s now will mean the MoD does not have to pay for expensive upgrades to keep them flying until 2035. The move is a huge U-turn by defence chiefs who in 2019 said the C-130J would remain in service until 2035 as no other aircraft could perform its high-risk role.
The Airbus-manufactured A400M will be trusted to fly troops behind enemy lines once the C-130J fleet is retired. Observers said: “Scrapping this aircraft, 14 years ahead of its retirement date, would be a serious strategic error and will land poorly with NATO allies who look to Britain for leadership in the domain of elite operations. The C-130J offers significant operational advantages; it is lighter, more agile, better defended and can land and take-off in hostile environments far more effectively than the A400M.” The MoD is also opting to axe the planes despite key allies such as the US, Australia, New Zealand and France still buying the American-manufactured aircraft.
The official documents suggest the C-130J should be retained because it meets the SAS’s specific operational requirements, stating: ‘The A400M and the C-17 another alternative aircraft) are physically too large for certain Special Forces missions, which often take place in tight, austere spaces. The larger the aircraft the more prone they are to threats. The A400M’s extra 10 feet of height presents a bigger target in ground operations and the larger surface area increases its vulnerability to missile threats.’