Reaching unprecedented heights: the French-German C130J Squadron celebrates its 10,000th flying hour with a huge milestone

In ? m?m?nt??s c???m?n? h?l? ?t Ev???x ?i???s? in F??nc? ?n N?v?m??? 27th, M?j??-G?n???l F??nck M?ll???, C?mm?n??? ?? th? E??????n Ai? T??ns???t C?mm?n? (EATC), ?n? B?i???i?? G?n???l F??nk B?st, Chi?? ?? St???, ???c?? th? c?l????ti?n c?mm?m???tin? th? ?xt?????in??? ?chi?v?m?nt ?? th? Bin?ti?n?l Ai? T??ns???t C-130J S??????n, ??m??sl? kn?wn ?s BATS, ??? its ?tt?inm?nt ?? 10,000 ?l?in? h???s. BATS st?n?s ?s ? st?ll?? ?m?l?m ?? th? c?ll?????tiv? ???w?ss ??tw??n th? F??nch ?n? G??m?n ??m?? ???c?s. N?stl?? ?t ?i? ??s? 105 in Ev???x, this s??????n ?????t?s ?n? m?n???s ? ?l??t ?? t?n c?ttin?-???? L?ckh??? M??tin C-130J-30/(K)C-130J S???? H??c?l?s ?i?c???t. U??n ???chin? its ??ll ?????ti?n?l c???cit?, this c?ll?ctiv? ?ss?m?l? ?? ?i?c???t is ??is?? t? ??liv?? ? st?????in? t?t?l ?? 6,000 ?l?in? h???s ?nn??ll?, s?m??lizin? ? si?ni?ic?nt l??? in t?ctic?l ?i? t??ns???t c????iliti?s ??? ??th n?ti?ns.

Th? ??n?sis ?? this ?i?n???in? c?ll?????ti?n ??t?s ??ck t? 2016 wh?n F??nc? ?n? G??m?n? ?m???k?? ?n ?n ?m?iti??s j???n?? t? ???ti?? th?i? ???tn??shi? in t?ctic?l ?i? t??ns???t. This visi?n??? ???st c?lmin?t?? in ? l?n?m??k F??nch-G??m?n ??cl???ti?n ??ll?w?? ?? ?n int????v??nm?nt?l ?????m?nt ink?? in F??????? 2017, l??in? th? ???n??ti?n ??? th? inc??ti?n ?? th? F??nch-G??m?n Bin?ti?n?l Ai? T??ns???t S??????n “Rh?in/Rhin”. Th? ?????ti?n?l ??th??it? v?st?? in th? EATC si?ni?i?s ? ?iv?t?l ?s??ct ?? this ?lli?nc?, wh???in ?????ti?n?l missi?ns ??? c?n??ct?? ?n ??h?l? ?? ??th th? F??nch ?n? G??m?n ??m?? ???c?s. This st??t??ic ?li?nm?nt ?n??l?s ?li?hts t? t??nsc?n? th? limit?ti?ns ?? n?ti?n?lit?, ??st??in? ?n ?nvi??nm?nt wh??? mix?? ?i?c??ws s??ml?ssl? ?x?c?t? ?????ti?n?l missi?ns w??l?wi??.

A t?st?m?nt t? s??ml?ss int????ti?n, BATS ?????t?s ?n??? ? ?ni?i?? t?chnic?l ?n? l??istic?l ???m?w??k, ??h??in? t? c?mm?n c?nc??ts ?n? ???c?????s m?tic?l??sl? c???t?? in ?li?nm?nt with EATC’s ?????ti?ns m?n??l ?n? ? sh???? c?nc??t ?? ?????ti?ns (CONOPS) ????t?? ?? th? F??nch ?n? G??m?n ?i? ???c?s. P??s?ntl?, th? s??????n ???ici?ntl? ?????t?s ???? F??nch ?ss?ts whil? ????in? ?? ??? th? inc??????ti?n ?? th? ?i?st G??m?n C-130, with ?n ???iti?n?l ?iv? G??m?n ?i?c???t ?ntici??t?? t? j?in th? ??nks in th? ???thc?min? tw? ????s. BATS st?n?s ?s ?n ?m?l?m ?? ?il?t???l c??????ti?n ?n? ?????ti?n?l ?xc?ll?nc?, ?m????in? th? ??si?n ?? c?ttin?-???? t?chn?l??? ?n? ?nw?v??in? ???ic?ti?n t?w???s ???ti??in? th? t?ctic?l ?i? t??ns???t c????iliti?s ?? ??th th? F??nch ?n? G??m?n ??m?? ???c?s.

Th? L?ckh??? M??tin C-130J S???? H??c?l?s st?n?s ?s ? ?inn?cl? ?? t?chn?l??ic?l ??v?nc?m?nt in milit??? t??ns???t ?i?c???t. B??stin? n?w ?n?in?s, m????niz?? ?li?ht ??cks, ?n? ?n ????? ?? ?nh?nc?? s?st?ms, this m???l, ?n ?v?l?ti?n ?? th? cl?ssic H??c?l?s, h?s s??n ? ??s??n?in? s?cc?ss ?l???ll?, with ?v?? 500 ?nits ??liv???? t? 26 ?????t??s ?c??ss 22 c??nt?i?s ?s ?? M??ch 2022. Am?n? its ???inin? ???t???s ??? n?w R?lls-R??c? AE 2100 D3 t???????? ?n?in?s, ??v?nc?? ?vi?nics incl??in? h???-?? ?is?l??s, ?n? ????c?? c??w ????i??m?nts. Th?s? im???v?m?nts t??nsl?t? t? ? 40% inc???s? in ??n??, 21% hi?h?? m?xim?m s????, ?n? ? 41% ????cti?n in t?k???? ?ist?nc?, s????ssin? its ?????c?ss??s in ??????m?nc? ?n? ???ici?nc?. Th? ?i?c???t’s v??s?til? c???? c?m???tm?nt, ?????xim?t?l? 41 ???t in l?n?th, 9 ???t in h?i?ht, ?n? 10 ???t in wi?th, is ???i???? with ?n ?nh?nc?? c???? h?n?lin? s?st?m.