Page 37 - Australian Defence Magazine Feb-Mar 21
P. 37
FEBRUARY – MARCH 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
AIR POWER OVERVIEW 37
The Jericho Demonstrator has also recently been used to trial the fitment of underwing pods to the C-130J-30, similar to the installation seen on the RAAF’s now-retired C-130H fleet. The additional tanks offer increased aircraft range but can also be used to support Army units deployed into the field by establishing a Forward Arming and Refu- elling Point (FARP), to enable helicopters and even M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks to be refuelled either directly from the Hercules itself, or via air-portable rubber fuel stor- age bladders.
Outside the Jericho construct, the C-130J-30 fleet con- tinues to receive regular software upgrades as part of Air 5440 Phase 1 and developed in in consultation with the international C-130J Joint User Group (JUG), of which Australia is a member. The latest in this series is Block 8.1, which will deliver enhanced air traffic communications capability, improved intercom systems, civil-certified GPS and improved aircraft covert lighting. The first aircraft is currently being modified and, following certification, the Block 8.1 upgrade will be progressively rolled out to the remainder of the fleet.
The withdrawal date of the C-130J-30 is planned to oc- cur in the early 2030’s and the recent 2020 Force structure Plan forecasts up to $13.2 billion to be spent on a replace- ment, beginning around 2029.
“Replacement options for the
C-130J-30 are yet to be investi-
gated by Defence. However, any
replacement aircraft will need
to strike a balance between
cargo capacity and continued
access to short, semi-prepared
runways,” explained the De-
fence spokesperson. “The re-
placement project is expected
to expand the size of the cur-
rent fleet of medium air mobil-
ity aircraft. Specific aircraft
numbers and type will be investigated as part of the Capability Life Cycle options developmental process.”
“THE WITHDRAWAL DATE OF THE C-130J-30 IS PLANNED TO OCCUR IN THE EARLY 2030’S AND THE RECENT 2020 FORCE STRUCTURE PLAN FORECASTS UP TO $13.2 BILLION TO BE SPENT ON A REPLACEMENT, BEGINNING AROUND 2029.”
KC-30A, MAKING THE ‘SMART TANKER’ SMARTER
Australia is often regarded as the lead customer for Airbus Defence and Space’s KC-30A MRTT, in terms of aircraft upgrade development, and has previously been instru- mental in the development of several features which the original equipment manufacturer is now offering under its ‘Smart Tanker’ concept.
One of the prominent features of the proposed is an au- tomatic air to air refuelling (A3R) capability, for which the
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