Egypt orders two C-130J Super Hercules
The two aircraft may well be the first instalment of up to a dozen replacements for Egypt’s legacy Hercules fleet.
Canada’s Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) programme has progressed with the Aircraft Maintenance Trainer (AMT) aircraft travelling to the country.
The aircraft is not one of the 16 aircraft procured under the FWSAR project; it will be used to instruct technicians on the removal and installation of various aircraft parts and components, and other aspects of hands-on maintenance before they conduct work on operational aircraft.
The first standard Canadian version of the aircraft, which will be fully equipped to perform search and rescue (SAR) missions, will begin arriving in Canada later this year. The fleet will be based out of the future SAR training centre at 19 Wing, Comox, BC.
When the maintenance trainer arrives in Comox, it will be disassembled and reassembled inside the new training centre, which is a keystone step in building the maintenance training programme.
In addition to the aircraft maintenance trainer, the new SAR training centre will house a variety of training devices including full-motion flight simulators and sensor station simulators.
The two aircraft may well be the first instalment of up to a dozen replacements for Egypt’s legacy Hercules fleet.
The move makes Hungary the second C-390 operator within the NATO alliance.
A ditching is a deliberate emergency landing on water, not a crash.
The end of the long procurement process could be in sight as both Airbus and Sikorsky pull out over bid criteria.
The modifications are intended to upgrade the fleet and extend their active lifespan.
The details of the sensor upgrade have yet to be formalised but could involve infrared search and tracking.