France bids accelerated adieu to Transalls
The venerable C-160 Transall is capable of taking off and landing from short and unpaved runways. (Photo: Jean-Marc Tanguy)
The French Air and Space Force has ceased heavy maintenance on the last remaining aircraft in the C-160 Transall fleet in preparation for their withdrawal from early 2022, almost 60 years after the aircraft entered service.
France had intended to retire its Transalls in 2018 but delays in the Airbus A400M programme prompted an extension until 2021 for conventional missions, 2023 for special missions and 2025 for the Gabriel.
The Air and Space Force even wanted to retain its Transalls until 2028 — but in fact the exact opposite is happening with an accelerated withdrawal.
Seven Transalls remain in the
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Air Warfare
-
“Gloves are off” as US Defense Secretary memo calls for sweeping drone procurement reform
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has promised to usher in a new era of “military drone dominance”.
-
Norway cleared for possible $2.6 billion HH-60W helicopter FMS
The possible sale for nine HH-60W makes Norway the first Foreign Military Sale customer for the rescue and combat helicopter and adds to the country’s ongoing acquisition of Sikorsky-made helicopters.
-
Bell selected over Boeing to build DARPA SPRINT X-Plane
The programme first began in 2023 with Bell and Boeing’s concepts progressing to Phase 1B, in which testing has been carried out over the last year.
-
National Audit Office report highlights major delays in UK’s F-35 programme
The report discloses that while the capability provided by the F-35 is superior to previous UK aircraft, delays from the UK Ministry of Defence on the programme have significantly impacted the country’s warfighting capabilities.
-
Boeing E-7A still in South Korean AEW&C competition, despite dropout reports
The E-7A is one of three aircraft submitted for the South Korean AEW&C II competition, which seeks to acquire four more aircraft of the type for its air force by 2028.