World AirNews June 2018

NEWS DIGITAL
NEWS DIGITAL
T
HE GERMAN air force has placed an order for six C-130J
Super Hercules that will become part of a joint Franco-German
squadron at Evreux air base, in France, following a statement
by both air forces that the Airbus A400M airlifter that was
previously supposed to replace all of their C160 Transalls, cannot
perform all of the required missions.
France received the first of four Super Hercules last December,
two years after agreeing to a deal with Lockheed Martin worth
$650-million.
According to the formal notification on May 4 by the Pentagon’s
Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the sale to Germany
will be worth $1,4-billion. It comprises three long-fuselage C-130J-
30s and three KC-130J refuellers. France bought two each of these
types and may buy two more.
Germany’s aircraft will be equipped with electronic warning and
warfare systems, L3 Wescam MX-20 EO/IR imaging sensors, secure
communications, precision navigation and cryptographic equipment,
and night-vision devices for the aircrew.
Europe’s two largest countries formally agreed to create the joint
squadron last October, one year after they began planning for it.
They will each contribute €110-million ($130-million) for infrastructure
improvements at the French airbase. The squadron is
scheduled to achieve initial operational capability in 2021, and be
fully operational in 2024.
FRANCO-GERMAN
C-130J SQUADRON -
NOW A REALITY
The French air Force held a Formal ceremony earlier This year To mark The delivery oF
it’s first C-130J super HerCules multi-role transport airCraft. (pHoto: German air forCe)
World Airnews | June Extra 2018
— 5 —
"The C-130J will fill a gap which will emerge with the retirement
of the aging Transall," said German air force commander, Karl
Muellner, when he attended a commissioning ceremony for the
first French C-130J-30 last January.
A total of 29 Transalls remain in German service, but they are
all slated for retirement by 2021. Last year, the German air force
website explained that the C-130Js “will be used where the A400M
is too large.This could be, for example, evacuation missions in Africa,
where small and unpaved airfields make the use of the A400M
impossible.”
Airbus has contested this assertion, but a long list of admitted
temporary deficiencies has caused a renegotiation of the pan-European
A400M contract that is not yet fully concluded, although
a slowdown in deliveries to the six air forces has been agreed. The
original impetus for the French C-130J order was the failure of Airbus
to provide air-to-air refuelling of helicopters from the A400M.
But, like the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) before them, the French and
German air forces have evidently concluded that the A400M is not
agile enough to perform special-forces missions.
The RAF decided to retain its C-130Js—the first ones ever delivered
back in the late 1990s—despite agreeing to buy 25 A400Ms
(since reduced to 22).
Germany has received 17 of the 60 A400Ms that it originally
envisioned (since reduced to 53). But a recent public report by the
German defence ministry revealed that of the 15 A400Ms received
by the end of 2017, only three were “operational” and only eight
were “available.” Q
NEWS DIGITAL
S
AAB HELD its annual Gripen seminar
at its Stockholm
headquarters
recently to share
the latest thoughts
and insights on
this unique family
of fighters with a
global audience.
Jonas Hjelm,
Senior Vice President
and head of
business area Aeronautics,
hosted the
event and opened
the seminar with an
overview of Gripen.
The continued
evolvement of
the Gripen C class
was highlighted,
including the Czech
Air Force upgrading
with the MS20 standard,
which enables
new missions for its
Gripen C fleet.
The ongoing Gripen E programme’s notable
achievements since the 2017 seminar
GENERAL
KEY GRIPEN FEATURES
were covered, including its first flight and
going supersonic.
The recent announcement on a new
Gripen E aerostructures facility showed the
progress on the co-operation with Brazil,
while the Gripen User Group of customers
UPGRADED WARRANTY CLAIMS
PROCESSING WEBSITE
World Airnews | June Extra 2018
— 6 —
held their meetings there for the first time.
An update on the continued levels of global
interest in the Gripen family was provided
by Richard Smith, head of Gripen marketing
and sales, with Saab able to
meet the demands from different
market segments with the C and
E-series.
This year’s seminar saw new
speakers who came to discuss
features of the Gripen E aircraft
and address a chosen specialism
relevant to fighters.
Mikael Olsson, Gripen pilot
from Saab’s Flight Test Centre
talked about the importance of
Gripen E as fighter that allowed
the pilot to be in total control,
rather than just flying to survive
in a hostile battle space.
The subject of Electronic Warfare
(EW) is gaining increasing
awareness as advanced radars
and missiles make it imperative
that a fighter is designed to compete
in the EW battle space.
Inga Bergström, sales director
for Gripen EW, explained how
Gripen E has a sophisticated
EW system integral to its design to ensure
mission success against the wide spectrum
of current and future threats. Q
T
EXTRON AVIATION has launched its upgraded warranty
claims processing site at the company’s 2018 Customer
Conference in Wichita, Kansas.
The improved site integrates new functionality into its claim processing
and post-purchase support designed to provide a simple,
convenient and intuitive experience for customers. The upgraded
claims site can be accessed online by visiting claims.txtav.com.
Through a customer advisory board (CAB), the company worked
directly with customers to develop the site to deliver a more
seamless online experience. To capture the full spectrum of user
perspectives, the CAB consisted of 14 individuals in a variety of
roles and organisations, including directors of maintenance, owner
operators, aircraft management companies, flight departments,
authorised service facilities, international customers and mechanics.
“Working hand-in-hand with our customer advisory board
over the span of several months, we worked to ensure we fully
understood customer needs and priorities when interacting with
the claims processing site,” said Kriya Shortt, senior vice president
of Customer Service. “And I’m thrilled with the result – a streamlined,
intuitive site that equips customers with the tools to more
efficiently and easily submit their claims, which instils greater
confidence in the ease and accuracy of their claims.”
In addition to streamlining claims processing, additional improvements
have been driven into post-purchase support for customers.
Notably, charges on rotable parts for overhaul, which are over and
above the standard overhaul price, have been removed, eliminating
unforeseen charges for the customer. Also, pay-in-advance
customers who make core deposits with a credit card will now
automatically receive the deposit back on their credit card after
the claim has been settled.
Textron Aviation offers customers factory-direct service and
support throughout their entire ownership experience. Through a
global network staffed with more than 3 000 employees, customers
have direct access to a team of expert service representatives
offering maintenance, inspections, parts, repairs, avionic upgrades,
equipment installations, refurbishments and other specialized
services.
Textron Aviation manages a growing fleet of more than 60
mobile service units (MSU) and rapid response aircraft that can be
mobilized to respond to maintenance events by contacting 1CALL,
a team of AOG specialists providing prioritized service and support
during unscheduled maintenance events. Q