A replacement for the Super Hercules

(To Tiziano Ciocchetti)
14/05/21

The C-130J and C-130J-30 Super Hercules they entered service at the end of the 90s of the last century. Compared to the previous version, the C-130Hs have suffered considerably more wear, just think of the twenty-year commitment of our Armed Forces in Afghanistan.

Given the possibility, on the part of the Defense, to access the funds of the recovery plan it would be appropriate to start thinking about renewing the transport line of the Air Force.

For about half a century, the 46th Aerobrigata of Pisa was able to make use of the C-130 platform, which was periodically updated. However, with the latest version J Lockheed Martin has ceased the production of the famous four-engine so, in the near future, the Air Force will have to focus on another air carrier.

It is also true that in recent years the C-130J fleet at the disposal of the 46th aerobrigade certainly could not meet the needs of the departments engaged in the numerous missions abroad.

Ukrainian companies have often been used to rent the huge Antonov An-124, very useful for transporting large quantities of material in operational theaters (capable of carrying a load of up to 120 tons).

The particular nature of military operations that have become standard in recent years has gradually changed the type of equipment supplied to the armed forces and, therefore, the requirements of air transport intended to transfer them. An MBT, weighing over 60 t, is considered excessive for the PSO (Peace Support Operations), it is therefore preferred to use wheeled vehicles, much lighter and less "aggressive" in the eyes of the public opinion. In the same way, both attack and transport helicopters are widely used in all operational theaters, it is therefore necessary to find an air carrier capable of transferring them quickly.

For example, the 3rd regiment Savoy Cavalry - also equipped with Centauro I 8x8 busbars weighing 24t in combat order - framed in the paratroopers brigade thunderbolt, requires the possibility of rapid deployment, a peculiar characteristic of the air troops. At present i Super Hercules (20t maximum load) do not allow the boarding of the Centauro, thus depriving the parakeets of an important fire support.

The most natural solution could be to evaluate the purchase of the Airbus A-400M, already adopted by many European Union air forces and Turkey. The A-400M has a range of 4.500 km with a load of 30t with a cruising speed of 750 km / h, while with a reduced load (20t) the range can reach over 6.500 km.

We remind readers that in the initial stages of the program Airbus A-400M there was also Italy, which later left to be able to release the funds for the purchase of the C-130Js.

In this case, the Air Force would acquire much higher transport capacity and range of action than in the past.

Alternatively, one could follow the choices already made by Hungary and Portugal, with the aircraft Embraer KC-390. In this case we would have a vector with performances slightly higher than Super Hercules, but with lower costs than the Airbus aircraft.

The KC-390 has a range of just over 2.000km (with a payload of 26t) and a cruising speed of 870km / h. It would then be able to carry a Centaur I or a VBM Arrow. Should the decision be made for the Brazilian aircraft, the operation already carried out with Israel could be repeated, i.e. swapping the M-346s with the KC-390s.

Photo: Air Force / US DoD / US Air Force