With the retirement of the last C-160R, Babak Taghvaee reviews the history of the iconic workhorse and the future of French military transport aircraft
R202/64-GB, one of the last two C-160Rs of the EEA 1/54 Dunkerque can be seen during training of the crew of R212 for the farewell tour on March 9, 2022 in BA105 Évreux
The diamond formation of the C-160R serialled R212, together with an A400M, a CN.235M-300 and a C-130J-30 of the French Air and Space Force during the retirement ceremony on May 20, 2022
All images Babak Taghvaee
The French Air and Space Force retired its last two Transalls from service on May 20 this year, after a distinguished career as one of the most successful tactical airlifters in the world. The last operational French C-160Rs were used for two key roles: C-160G Gabriel pilot training with EEA 01.054 Dunkerque, and Special Operations of the Air Parachute Commandos with ET 03.061 Poitou.
