The first Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 for the Armée de l’Air (French Air Force), serial number 5836/61-PO, arrived at BA123 Orléans-Bricy on December 22, 2017, exactly a month after it made its maiden flight at the manufacturer’s plant at Marietta, Georgia.
Although the aircraft carries the code of Orléansbased Escadron de Transport 2/61 ‘Franche-Comté’ and will initially fly with that unit, it will soon be based at nearby BA105 Evreux- Fauville with a Franco-German wing comprising six German and four French Super Hercules (two C-130J-30 transports and two KC-130J tankers) ordered to bridge the gap caused by late delivery of A400M transports.
The new unit is expected to achieve initial operational capability in 2021 and full operational capability in 2024. Germany is expected to order its aircraft in 2018.
