According to official statements made by the French General Staff during the signing ceremony, however, the participation of other countries, some of which are already unofficially involved, is very likely. The French Air Force itself specified that the signing of the agreement represents the first step towards defining more precise requirements and common specifications, pending the start of industrial feasibility studies preparatory to the actual development process, which should start between 2026 and 2027. The FMTC represents one of the various PESCO initiatives aimed at encouraging the greatest possible cooperation in the procurement of weapon systems/military equipment between EU member countries, in this specific case in the field of military air mobility capabilities. Today’s description of the new tactical airlifter seems to favour the solution of a pure tactical aircraft, with no compromises on performance in the battlespace. However, the unexpected success of the C-390 and the EU Commission’s requirements for financially supporting the project might undercut the initial idea of a pure ‘war workhorse’. In fact, while PESCO identifies the FMTC as a project designed to increase the military air mobility capabilities of EU member states, in the Commission‘s view, the future aircraft should also be able to perform tasks more relevant to the civil sphere - evacuation, medical transport, search and rescue. According to the Commission‘s specifications, these feasibility studies will have to identify the operational requirements envisaged over the next 25 years, including potential development opportunities between European Defence Fund member countries and their partners. Initial proposals are due in November. Preliminary Conclusions So far, only the European market has been considered in highlighting the relationship between theoretical performance a tactical airlifter should ensure and the way this performance influences (or does not) the decision-making process for the procurement of a transport aircraft. However, as only a few companies - such as Embraer, Lockheed Martin, Airbus, and Leonardo (sadly no longer joined by Antonov) - currently possess the necessary know-how for designing and industrialising a tactical airlifter, Europe is likely to be under observation by dozens of air forces seeking to renew their (doctrinally and physically) ageing tactical transport fleets. The A-400M is an example of the search for a compromise in terms of performance and utility, but the price tag of a complex aircraft is of increasing concern. (Photo: Airbus) expects a growth in demand over Europe. As Portugal and Hungary have opted for the same solution, there are some first elements to point out that the three future European operators of the C-390 considered service life costs, availability, and speed as being determinant over the other parameters. This demonstrates that the C-390 is becoming commercially interesting, but also highlights the doctrinal debate on how tactical transport missions will look. From a political point of view, the impression is that, following withdrawal from Afghanistan and the war in Ukraine, European air forces do not intend to go beyond the continent and want to focus on a narrow theatre where airports are abundant, but they will remain so if forces get there on time. So far, these are speculations, but Embraer’s success has the merit of fuelling the debates going on in Europe since Airbus‘ A-400M took up the challenge of becoming an optimal trade-off between tactical and strategic capabilities. Strands of doctrine were different, as well as the size and complexity of the aircraft, but considerations still fall under the subject of what a tactical airlifter should do and at what price. Small Countries, Big Trend? Comments and analyses based on European countries’ experience with C-130Js and C-27Js, as well as the debates triggered by the A-400M and C-390 are likely to influence the next tactical airlift programme shaping up in Europe. In June, the governments of France, Germany and Sweden signed an agreement to launch the FMTC (Future Mid-size Tactical Cargo) programme for a new medium tactical transport aircraft. Specifically, the programme envisages the development, by 2040, of an aircraft that can replace the mid-size tactical transport fleet of the three countries – basically consisting of two platforms; C-130s and CN-235s, after the recent retirement of the French-German C-160, with an average age of over 35 years. From an operational point of view, in the case of France and Germany, the aircraft would complement the A-400M with its smaller size and load capacity (18-20t against about 35-37t), capable of operating from short or semi-prepared/improvised runways. Basically, an aircraft that could carry out those missions for which the A400 would be oversized or structurally incapable of operating. Moreover, there is speculation from France about a possible commonality of systems between the new aircraft and the ATLAS, including engines or components, to facilitate a reduction in the new machine‘s development costs. The FMTC is currently a tri-national programme that officially includes France (coordinating country), Germany and Sweden and, therefore, enjoys the support of the European Defence Agency and the benefits provided by PESCO. 28 · MT 5/2022 Feature f h f The C-130J-30 is the benchmark aircraft in the western world, and a competitive candidate for the replacement of ageing fleets of tactical airlifters. (Photo: Lockheed Martin) The C-27J responds to all the base requirements for an effective tactical airlifter. However, reworked versions of regional jets have often been preferred for budgetary reasons. (Photo: Leonardo)
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