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Transport Aircraft7:Armada
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Transport Aircraft
New-Tech
Military Airlifters
New-generation turbine engines with substantially improved
thermodynamic and propulsive efficiencies are making possible
transport aircraft that combine relatively short airfield performance
with economical (and comparatively high-speed) cruise.
Roy Braybrook, inputs from Eric H. Biass
T
he operation to liberate Kuwait in
1991, the occupations of Afghanistan
in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, and the
Russo-Georgian conflict of 2008 have
all highlighted logistic limitations in the
major air forces involved. The results have
included boosts to international sales of the
Lockheed Martin C-130J and the Boeing C17, and a fresh start for the Antonov An-70.
I HERCULES
The C-130 Hercules series has the
distinction of having been in continuous
production longer than any other military
aircraft. The first entered US Air Force
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service in 1957, and 2154 examples of that
first generation were built (231 C-130As,
230 Bs, 488 Es and 1205 Hs). Around 1200
are still in service in 72 countries.
In 1999 deliveries began of the 70-tonne
C-130J Super Hercules with four 3424-kW
Rolls-Royce AE2100Ds turning six-blade
propellers, and a modernised flight deck
and avionics. Orders currently stand at 337
units, including Australia twelve, Canada
17, India twelve, Iraq six, Israel three,
Kuwait three, Mexico two, Norway four,
Oman three, Qatar four, the UAE twelve
and Britain twenty five. In January 2012 the
2400th Hercules was delivered.
In 2012 Lockheed Martin unveiled a
proposal for the reduced-cost C-130XJ,
aimed at operators needing only a small
number of aircraft for tactical transport and
special missions duties. Representing a price
reduction of approximately 15%, the C130XJ will omit advanced communications
and defensive systems, and will use gaseous
oxygen and a simpler cargo-handling
system. It will also have provisions for a
nose-mounted EO/IR sensor, to facilitate use
in ISR and SAR missions.
I GLOBEMASTER III
In June 2012 the US Air Force placed an
order for its 224th and last 265-tonne
Boeing C-17. The production line is being
kept open until (at least) 2014, largely by
orders from other nations: Australia six
Th
To
Tr
AF
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The first production A400M Atlas on its
maiden flight on 6 March will soon join the
Armée de l’Air.
aircraft, Canada four, India ten (with an
option on four more), Kuwait one, Qatar
four, the United Arab Emirates six and
Britain eight.
In addition, three C-17s (one provided
by the US Air Force) are operated from
Hungary by the Heavy Airlift Wing, the
operational unit of the Strategic Airlift
Program, on behalf of ten Nato nations and
the two Partnership for Peace nations,
Finland and Sweden.
A contract for two C-17s for an
undisclosed new buyer was signed in 2012.
Potential customers include South Korea
and South Africa. The production rate is
currently running at ten units per year. The
$ 316 million cost of the final British C-17
is hopefully a better indication of unit price
than the $ 693 million charge for Kuwait’s
one aircraft.
An interesting facility already added to
over 70 US Air Force C-17s allows up to 100
aircraft to fly safely in close formation, day or
night, to allow a whole army brigade to be
air-dropped over a small zone within 30
minutes. It is based on a traffic collisionavoidance system (TCAS), with the lead
aircraft serving as a positional reference.
I GALAXY
The logistic demands of Afghanistan have
encouraged the US Air Force to proceed with
modernisation of its 381-tonne Lockheed
Martin C-5 fleet. By FY2017 this will consist
of 52 C-5M Super Galaxies with GE Aviation
F138 (CF6- 80C2) engines and only 29 C5As (46 C-5As having been retired).
Several European nations (including
Russia) see a need for a transport that is less
expensive than the C-17, yet can
accommodate outsize loads such as Mrap
vehicles and helicopters, and deliver them
over intercontinental ranges into short
airstrips. Similar thinking may be found in
regional leaders such as Chile, Malaysia and
South Africa.
I ATLAS
One aircraft designed to satisfy such needs is
the 141-tonne Airbus Military A400M,
officially named ‘Atlas’ by the seven launch
partner nations in June 2012. It has four
Europrop International (EPI) TP400
engines turning eight-blade propellers,
allowing it to cruise at speeds up to Mach
0.72 and altitudes up to 37,000 ft.
Maximum design load is 37 tonnes.
The A400M is designed to also serve as a
tanker, using a centreline 2250 lit/min hose
or two underwing 1500 lit/min units. Its
wide airspeed range allows it to refuel
helicopters at 200 km/hr at 5000 ft, and fast
jets at 540 km/hr at 25,000 ft.
Its 8200-kW (class) TP400-D6 represents
a massive leap in Western turboprops,
The Airbus Military A400M Atlas will provide
the ability to move outsize loads over
intercontinental distances into short airstrips.
This example, side-number EC-404 is MSN4
(the fourth of five ‘Grizzly’ development
aircraft) is seen taking off at the ILA Air Show
near Berlin last year. (Armada/Eric H. Biass).
This Boeing C-17 (serial 96-0001), making a spectacular take-off from the
Tonopah runway at Nellis AFB, Nevada, is owned by Air Education and
Training Command, but is assigned to the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus
AFB, Oklahoma. (US Air Force).
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Transport Aircraft
producing 140% more power than the
AE2100D of the C-130J. Such ambition did
not go without teething problems (which
appear to have now bee ironed out), but
allows the Atlas to operate from short and
unpaved airstrips and yet cruise at near jetaircraft speeds, which is totally unique to
date. The first production aircraft took to the
air on 6 March (see title picture) and is slated
for delivery to the French Air Force shortly.
Domestic orders for the A400M now
amount to 170 units (Belgium seven, France
50, Germany 53, Luxemburg one, Spain 27,
Turkey ten, and UK 22). The only export
order is currently four aircraft for Malaysia,
although South Africa might yet reinstate its
earlier contract for eight (with an option on
six more), which was cancelled due to cost
increases. At least 750 TP400M engines are
to be produced.
In the longer term, the US Air Force
might buy A400Ms, if only for special
operations. In 2009 Eads North America
submitted an unsolicited quotation to Air
Mobility Command for 118 aircraft.
The first of five A400M “Grizzly”
development aircraft (MSN1-4 and MSN6)
had its maiden flight on December 11, 2009.
As seen above, the first production aircraft
(MSN7) is due to be delivered in the second
quarter of 2013 to the French Air Force,
which will receive two more by the end of
the year. The first for Turkey (MSN9) will
also be handed over in 2013.
Deliveries to Germany (starting with
MSN18), Malaysia (MSN22) and Britain
(MSN16) are due to begin in 2014, followed
by those to Spain (MSN46) in 2017, and
Belgium (MSN136) and Luxembourg
(MSN133) in 2018.
The Airbus Military Atlas has the largest cargo
hold any turboprop transport aircraft can
currently offer in the Western World.
(Armada/Eric H. Biass).
I AN-70
The A400M is in the same size and
performance category as the Ukraine’s 145tonne Antonov An-70, which first flew in
1994, when procurement of 160 was planned.
The An-70 is powered by four 10,300kW Ivchenko-Progress D-27 engines (25%
more powerful than the TP400), turning
14-blade (eight at front, six at rear) contrarotating SV-27 propfans. Its cabin is
somewhat larger than that of the A400M,
and it has a ten-tonne margin in terms of
maximum payload (47 tonnes).
The An-70 is claimed to have better
payload-range performance than the A400M
(carrying 35 tonnes for 5100 km, compared to
the latter’s 30 tonnes for 4540 km). If it
achieves the estimated maximum speed of
780 km/hr, it will be marginally faster than
the A400M, reaching only 765 km/hr.
The first An-70 prototype was lost in a
mid-air collision in 1995, and the second
suffered a heavy landing in 2001. Russia
withdrew support in 2006, but in late 2009
(following the conflict with Georgia of
2008, in which the Russian Air Force was
allegedly unable to deliver loads to short
forward airfields) the Russian MoD
resumed funding.
In September 2012 the second An-70
(UR-NTK) was ferried from Kiev to
Gostomel to begin a new series of 20 test
flights. This followed two years on the
ground for modifications to the engines
and propfans to reduce noise (the
separation between the discs was increased
by 50%), and improvements to the high-lift
devices, avionics, instruments and auxiliary
power unit. These preliminary tests are to
be followed by joint state flight trials of
around 75 sorties.
Preseries production was launched in
2004, when Antonov received an order
from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence for two
An-70s. These are still being built at the
The Antonov An-70 programme has now
restarted, and the Russian Air Force plans to
acquire 60, mostly built by Kapo. The second
prototype is shown in its recently upgraded
form with chin EO/IR turret, and spacing
between the propfans increased from 600 to
900 mm to reduce noise. (Antonov).
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Antonov Serial Plant (formerly Aviant) at
Svyatoshin. Russia is negotiating to buy
these aircraft.
In 2010 Russia’s then president Dmitry
Medvedev formally adopted the 2011-2020
Armaments Programme, which includes
deliveries to the Russian Air Force of at least
60 An-70s by 2020. These will mostly come
from the Kazan Aircraft Production
Association (Kapo), which is scheduled to
deliver the first by end-2015, and reach
twelve units per year by 2019.
Antonov will provide wings, tail, nacelles
and pylons to Kapo, which will manufacture
fuselages and perform the final assembly
and flight testing of production aircraft. On
current plans, Kapo would assemble any
An-70s required by the Ukraine (which may
be as few as ten) and the civil An-70T
proposed for Russia’s Volga-Dnepr and
Polet Airlines. However, the possibility of
establishing a final assembly line at the
Antonov Serial Plant is not ruled out.
Antonov will remain the design authority
for the An-70, and will retain prototype URNTK as a testbed for any later modifications.
The An-70’s 10,300-kW D-27 engines
will be manufactured jointly by Motor Sich
in the Ukraine and Salyut in Russia. The D27 is also being considered as a replacement
for the 11,000-kW Kuznetsov NK-12M in
the Russian Air Force’s 55 Tupolev Tu95MS bombers.
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I RUSLAN
There appears to be no interest in returning
to service retired US Air Force C-5s, hence
the only likely near-term additions to the
global heavy lift fleet are 402-tonne Antonov
An-124s.
In 2008 the governments of Russia and
the Ukraine agreed in principle to launch
An-124 production at Aviastar-SP, at
Ulyanovsk in Russia. In 2010 Antonov and
Russia’s United Aircraft agreed to form a
joint venture to build 60 An-124s. In May
2012 a Russian Air Force spokesman said
that “up to ten” would be built for Military
Transport Aviation (VTA). However, the
definitive agreement has apparently yet to
be signed.
The new model is the An-124-200 with
payload increased to 150 tonnes,
modernised flight deck and avionics, and
an 80% increase in fatigue life. The An-124300 is the proposed commercial version.
Aviastar is already refurbishing and
upgrading VTA Ruslans to An-124-100M
standard. In May 2012 it was announced
that the first three had been returned to the
service, that work had begun on four more,
Illustrating growing defence cooperation
between the US and India, this Indian Air Force
Ilyushin Il-76MD had just landed at Joint Base
Pearl Harbor – Hickam (US Air Force).
and that “another ten or so” would be
similarly upgraded by 2020.
The VTA’s 244th Flight Detachment
offers seven An-124s for international
commercial operations. This organisation
was the subject of a four-year contract
awarded by France in 2010, and will be used
by several coalition forces in the withdrawal
from Afghanistan. Commercial use of VTA
An-124s has necessitated extending the
lives of 24 of its 225-tonne, four-turboprop
An-22s, which now carry most of the
service’s own outsize loads.
On behalf of Isaf (International Security
Assistance Force) in Afghanistan, Nato has
recently extended to the end of 2014 its Salis
(Strategic Airlift Interim Solution) contract
with the Antonov Design Bureau and
Volga-Dnepr Airlines. The programme
began in January 2006, and covers the
full-time use of two An-124s, two on
six-days’ notice and a further two on nine
days’ readiness.
I CANDID
In terms of gross weight, the stretched 210tonne Ilyushin Il-76MF, which first flew in
1995, comes half-way between the lighter
A400M and An-70 and the heavier C-17. It
has a relatively narrow cabin, and so far has
won only one order (two aircraft for Jordan
International Air Cargo, reportedly priced at
$ 50 million each).
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Transport Aircraft
The Airbus Military C-295 pictured over Cape
Town harbour. The company is marketing the
aircraft in South Africa as a replacement for
the veteran Douglas C-47TP Turbo-Dakota in
the transport and maritime patrol roles.
(Airbus Military/Mark Mansfield).
However, In October 2012 Russia’s
Defence Ministry signed a $ 4.5 billion
contract with United Aircraft for 39 Il76MD-90As (sometimes referred to as Il476s, for fourth-generation Il-76s) to be
constructed by Aviastar-SP, with deliveries
running from 2014 to 2020. The first had its
maiden flight in October 2012. These newbuild aircraft will have Perm-built
PS-90A-76s, a Kotlin-Novator avionics
suite, a glass cockpit, and a stronger wing
and undercarriage.
I MISCELLANY
China’s Avic/Xian Aircraft is developing the
Y-20 four-jet transport, grossing slightly
over 200 tonnes. It has been described
as a wide-bodied Il-76, but looks more
like a scaled-down C-17. Wingspan of 47
metres is less than that of the Il-76 (50.5
metres). Maximum payload is increased to
66 tonnes.
Taxi tests began on December 21, 2012,
and the Y-20 first flew on January 26, 2013,
using D-30KP-2s, planned for replacement
by unspecified Chinese high-bypass
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engines. It also features Chinese
supercritical aerofoils, avionics and
composite materials. The Y-20’s earliest
possible in-service date is given as 2017.
Lower down the scale, sales are
dominated by twin-turboprops, notably the
32-tonne AleniaAermacchi C-27J and
Airbus Military’s 23-tonne C-295 and 16.5tonne CN-235. The Indian Air Force is
having its 105 remaining 27-tonne Antonov
An-32s upgraded in the Ukraine.
I TWIN JETS
Tactical transports emphasise airfield
performance over cruise speed, hence
most are twin-turboprops, but recent
turbofan developments have produced
several new jet projects.
Although it has not flown yet, one of the
most remarkable examples in this category,
with a maximum take-off weight of 81
tonnes is the Embraer KC-390. Although it
originally was offered as a pure transport
Considerably heavier and more expensive
than the C-295, the AleniaAermacchi
C-27J Spartan provides a larger cabin
cross-section and greater payload capacity
(Armada/Eric H. Biass).
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Transport Aircraft
According to latest news from Embraer, the
KC-390 here seen as a model in a montage to
display its air tanker capabilities, is to take to
the air next year. (Embraer).
The “office” of the KC-390 is as modern as one would expect from a new-gen transport,
complete with large multiple-function and head-up displays. (Embraer).
aircraft and therefore initially known as the
C-390, it underwent a number of design
reviews including the addition of an airtanker capacity for the Brazilian Air Force,
hence its current KC prefix.
The programme was formally launched
with a $ 1.5 billion Brazilian Air Force
contract in 2009, covering two prototypes.
The Força Aérea Brasileira requirement
specifies a payload of 19 tonnes, but the KC390 is estimated to carry 23.6 tonnes for 2600
km. In mid-2011 Embraer selected 133-kN
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International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500-E5,
a ruggedised version of the turbofan used in
some commercial A320s and MD-90s.
As we were about to go to press, the
Brazilian Air Force and Embraer announced
that they had jest completed the aircraft’s
critical design review, which confirmed the
definitive aerodynamic and structural
configuration, clearing the way for
completion of aircraft prototypes. First flight
of the KC-390 is scheduled for late 2014, and
service entry for 2016. The Brazilian Air
Force plans to buy 28 and Embraer has letters
of intent for twelve from Colombia, for six
each from Argentina, Chile and Portugal,
and for two from the Czech Republic. France
is expected to buy twelve KC-390s if the
Dassault Rafale is adopted as Brazil’s F-2X.
Embraer has signed an agreement with
Boeing on possible technical and marketing
collaboration, and is considering a stretched
KC-390 that could be available by 2018 for
the commercial market.
Antonov is now developing the An-178
tactical transport and civil freighter, based on
the 43.7-tonne An-158 regional transport.
The An-178 will have a maximum payload of
18 tonnes, a rear loading ramp, and uprated
Ivchenko-Progress D436-148 turbofans. It is
expected to fly in 2014.
India’s programme to develop with Russia
a 65-tonne tactical Multirole Transport
Aircraft (MTA) has moved only slowly. The
underlying Inter-Governmental Agreement
was signed in 2007, and the Bangalore-based
joint venture Multirole Transport Aircraft
Ltd (MTAL) was formed in 2010 by Russia’s
United Aircraft Corporation – Transport
Aircraft (UAC-TA), Rosoberonexport and
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
The MTA preliminary design contract
was signed in October 2012, and a joint IndoRussian team began work in December in the
UAC-TA offices in Moscow. The maiden
flight is expected to take place in 2017, with
series production following in 2019.
The investment required for MTA is
estimated at $ 771 million in 2012 terms, and
will be shared equally (as will production)
between the Indian and Russian partners. It is
planned that at least 205 MTAs will be built:
100 for the Russian Air Force, 45 for the
Indian Air Force and 60 for other countries.
Japan’s 141-tonne Kawasaki C-2 is much
larger (in the same weight class as
the A400M and An-70), powered by two 266kN GE Aviation CF6-80C2K1Fs. The first of
two prototypes was rolled out in July 2007, but
structural weaknesses delayed first flight to
January 2010. The FY2012 budget provides
funds (around $ 410 million) for two more. It
is anticipated that the JASDF will buy 40 C-2s
to replace its C-130s and Kawasaki C-1s. The
C-2 may also be used to replace the EW
version of the NAMC YS-11.