This Year's Aviation Industry Watchpoints (7) - Additional Large Transport Aircraft Models to Be Introduced by the Air Force

Lockheed Martin's C-130

[Monthly Aviation Editor-in-Chief Kim Jae-han] As the Air Force is promoting the "Large Transport Aircraft Phase 2" project to strengthen personnel and cargo airlift capabilities, interest is growing in when and which aircraft will be introduced.

One of the main reasons the Air Force is pursuing the Large Transport Aircraft Phase 2 project is that the current transport aircraft force is weak compared to the scope of our military activities today. This is because transport aircraft forces have mainly been introduced with medium-range models such as the C-130 and CN-235, limiting the performance of long-distance transport missions, which have been steadily increasing due to overseas deployments.

In fact, in 2011, when Somali pirates who hijacked the Samho Jewelry ship needed to be quickly transported back to Korea, the Air Force faced difficulties operating transport aircraft. The C-130 planned to be dispatched by the Air Force had a short range, so obtaining permission from 5 to 6 countries for mid-air refueling and the actual flight was expected to take a long time.

Fortunately, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) royal family understood the situation and supported the Korean government with their royal aircraft, a Boeing 737 BBJ, dramatically resolving the pirate transport issue. Such difficulties are not limited to this case but continue to be obstacles during current overseas deployment missions of our military.

▲ Absence of Strategic Transport Aircraft = The current weakness in the Air Force's transport capability lies in the absence of strategic transport aircraft. Transport aircraft are commonly classified based on operational range and payload capacity into strategic transport aircraft, which can carry long-distance and large-volume cargo, and tactical transport aircraft, which carry medium- to short-range and medium- to small-volume cargo. Additionally, by mission type, transport aircraft operating mainly between combat zones (Inter-theater) are called strategic transport aircraft, while those performing various transport missions within combat zones (Intra-theater) are called tactical aircraft.

Of course, not all transport aircraft have strictly defined strategic or tactical roles. For example, the Air Force's C-130, often classified as a tactical transport aircraft, performs strategic airlift missions such as troop and cargo transport for overseas deployments, and the U.S. Air Force's strategic transport aircraft C-17 also carries out tactical airlift missions like airborne assault and tactical resupply.

For this reason, transport aircraft are sometimes classified by payload capacity. For instance, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in the UK classifies transport aircraft with a maximum payload of 11,350 kg as light, those with a maximum payload from 11,350 kg to 27,215 kg as medium, and those with a maximum payload over 27,215 kg as heavy transport aircraft. Similarly, the U.S. Air Force defines strategic transport aircraft as those with a maximum payload of 27,215 kg and an operational range of over 8,300 km.

▲ Large Transport Aircraft Introduction Planned by 2022 = The Air Force's intention to introduce large transport aircraft is also reflected in the <2020-2024 Defense Mid-term Plan>. The Ministry of National Defense announced in August last year through the <2020-2024 Defense Mid-term Plan> that "additional large transport aircraft will be secured to reinforce wartime airlift capabilities and will also be operated for peacetime disaster and emergency support, protection of overseas nationals, and promotion of international national interests." The project currently being promoted by the Air Force is the "Large Transport Aircraft Phase 2" project. Following the Phase 1 project that introduced four C-130J aircraft, this is a follow-up project to introduce three more.

The project was first determined as a requirement in 1992 and was decided to be introduced through overseas procurement at the 30th Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee in 2008. The project was then put on hold in 2014 but was confirmed for "project promotion" with a requirement of three aircraft at the Power Requirement Verification Committee in January last year. If the project proceeds on schedule, the Air Force will introduce three large transport aircraft between 2021 and 2022.

▲ Quiet A400M Swap Deal = Meanwhile, at the end of 2018, reports emerged that the Spanish government proposed a swap deal exchanging A400M aircraft for KT-1 and T-50 trainers produced by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), attracting attention. According to media reports, the Spanish government hoped to swap 4 to 6 of the 27 A400M aircraft to be introduced by its air force for about 20 T-50 advanced trainers and about 30 KT-1 basic trainers.

Domestic public opinion welcomed this swap proposal from the Spanish government. If the swap were successful, it was expected to achieve two goals: introducing large transport aircraft for the Air Force and exporting domestically produced trainers. However, recent developments show only rumors aside from ongoing negotiations.

In fact, there have been no concrete updates on negotiations or follow-up actions, and in January, the Spanish government signed a contract to introduce 24 PC-21 basic trainers from Switzerland's Pilatus, raising speculation that the swap deal might be uncertain. Moreover, the recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has severely affected Europe including Spain, is also believed to have worsened the negotiation environment.

Although the Phase 2 project is focusing attention on the introduction of strategic transport aircraft such as the A400M, the possibility of additional purchases of the C-130J introduced earlier cannot be ruled out. This is because the Air Force originally planned to introduce a total of seven transport aircraft during the Phase 1 project but could only procure four due to budget shortages, deciding to acquire the remaining three through a follow-up project. Therefore, the possibility of additional C-130J purchases remains open.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.