Tactical transport

[Imshi-Yallah]

Theres no comparison the C-130s engines would suck up our budget, and I doubt we could make a single machine work, the C-295 C-27J where considered because although they have lower payload capacity they are cheap enough to purchase a viable pair.
The C-295 is also less thirsty and less maintenance intensive.

[Turkey]

And now for something slightly different:
The DoD go and buy say 6 C130's [as late a series as possable]
and paint them a nice neutral grey with a company logo in self stick vinyl, and operate them as general cargo aircrafts with crews composed of Air Corps reserves, conditional on their flights must be only to and from this rock.
They are not operated for profit but must be compeditive with other airliners, ie. no undercutting of commercial operations ect.
In the event of them being required for humanaterian aid, troop transport, SAR support what ever,- off come the vinyl logos and on go the vinyl IAC insignia, in go the chaff launchers or whatever, [there are people better informed then me about such things: Aiden, CQ, ect] and the IAC tactical transport wing head into action, harms way, Berties latest holiday,whatever.
Now there is probally a liberary of EU rules and regs against this, but let's see if it can fly,[groan].
Also posted on IMO.

[Silver]

Sounds good in theory - but would never happen I'm afraid.
The best the AC can hope for in the near future is 1 x (s/h) C-130 or CN235/295.

However, most likely the nearest they will get to transports will be new Cessna Caravans.

Turkey,

sounds good but technicaly imposible.
The C-130 version you're thinking about does not exist !!
When a plane is build all the systems are ( or are not ) build within.
E.g. the flares/chaff.
There is quite a lot of technical stuff in the plane to have this working.
To build this in "when needed" will take such a long time the plane isn't needed anymore.

Guinness

[Silver]

I agree pilatus.
A CASA 235 or 295 would be the best option.
However, cost may be against it (nothing new there then!).

I believe that the AC proposed the purchase of a 295 at the time of the White Paper review - but it was 'knocked on the head' due to cost.

How much would a s/h C-130 cost vs a new CASA 295 ?

[Taj]

Marshalls of Cambridge upgraded three second hand ex RAF C-130's for Austria-two man cockpit etc.Would be a sound and useful purchase for the Corps-one that I can actually see happening.
I remember reading about some AF's that operate as quasi civilian cargo airlines during "peacetime" so there is precedent and it would make the aircraft pay for themselves effectively.
Guinness/Turkey there wouldnt actuall be a need to remove the chaff or flare launchers-just dont load the chaff bundles and actual flares.
Realisticely though can you see the AC top brass or DoD officials being capable of such imaginitive thinking?

[Turkey]

Mayby they will read this board or IMO, fat chance

[pilatus]

forget about the c-130 the corps should buy something along the lines of the casa235 or295 which is basically a stretched cn-235.with pilots already rated on the cn-235 there wouldnt be much training required apart from some new gadgets onboard the uprated models.