Flightglobal: EADS North America has offered a plan for the US Air Force to purchase 118 Airbus A400Ms ...Author: Stephen TrimbleDate: 19 February 2010Read the full article
Author: Stephen Trimble
Date: 19 February 2010
Read the full article
I would doubt very much that the US would accept into service the A400M as a C-130H replacement.
The idea is too logical to be accepted by the unions and the various senators and congressman/women who have vested interests in the US aircraft industry i.e. Boeing who are doing their best to eliminate the Airbus competition from the tanker replacement program even if the aircraft and engines are manufactured and assembled by US workers in factories located in the US of A.
An oversized C-130 derivative will be developed and put into service to replace the ageing C-130's, end of story.
..... An oversized C-130 derivative will be developed and put into service to replace the ageing C-130's, end of story .....
Yes ..... and is there something new about the C-130XL ..... the so called "Fat Hercules" ? .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/09/22/316314/picture-lockheed-martin-unveils-wider-larger-c-130xl-to-fight.html
And even if the U.S.A.F. would consider the A400M to replace C-130 Hercules (which I very much doubt). The idea of using A400M's in place of C-5 Galaxy's especially the modernized C-5M's is a pipe dream at best. See http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/10/336032/c-5m-passes-key-test-ahead-of-full-rate-production-decision.html
The C-17 Globemaster III is much more competitive in my opinion with the C-130 than an A400M would ever be (in the American market at least)! The A400M could certainly find a use in N.A.T.O. and other European and possibly middle-eastern countries.
The USAF will never buy the A400M.