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Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 11/97 NEW AIRCRAFT FOR GERMAN AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND by Karl Schwarz Even though there is currently no crisis to cope with, the Luftwaffe's (German Air Force) air transport wings have no reason to complain about a lack of work. According to major general Gerhard Back, Commander of the Air Transport Command, the activities focus on flights to support the SFOR troops in former Yugoslavia, as well as, the supply of German forces in Bosnia and Italy. This is added by routine flights to the USA and Canada. Further capacities are used for additional deployments. Also, Back explains that the tactical training of the aircrews has been enforced in the recent years. Each of the Air Transport Wings (LTG) has some pilots with a "Combat Ready +" status for especially difficult missions, a capacity which is to be expanded, says Back. For much longer, the LTGs will have to depend on the aging fleet of Transall transports. Measures to extend the service time and modernize the fleet are being executed. 24 aircraft are currently being equipped with an extensive electronic warfare equipment. All 84 Transalls are fitted at a Dasa plant with an autonomous navigation system and a modern flight control system. After some delays, the program is supposed to be completed by the year 2000. At that point the availability will be better than recently, aided by an improved spare parts logistics. As of today, several Transalls will continue to stay in service beyond 2010 since the introduction of a replacement is not on the schedule until 2008. According to General Back, the requirements for the FTA (Future Transport Aircraft) are directly related to the weak points of the Transall: "Today, we must carry more systems over longer distances. The Transall has a too small freight bay for this task and, it is too slow." The FLA (Future Large Aircraft) is the industry's answer to these requirements which are also defined in a European Staff Requirement. FLA is to be developed by the Airbus Military Company, in which five countries are participating. Still, facing tight budgets leaves the financing question open. A so called "commercial approach" with an integrated development and production phase is currently favoured. The main focus right now is the contracts for a pre-launch phase which will further detail the FTA. Possibly, the development could start at the end of 1998. The manufacturers are hoping to build 300 aircraft, 75 of which for the German Air Force. Before the FTA goes into service, the air transport command expects the introduction of the NH90 helicopter. It is to replace the aging and less efficient UH-1D beginning in 2003. NH90 is also to allow the generation of a combat SAR capacity for the air force. A C-SAR group has already been established and is dealing with the training and development of operational tactics. Along with the "regular" Air Transport Wings in Hohn, Landsberg, and Wunstorf, the defence ministry's Special Air Transport Group (Flugbereitschaft) in Cologne-Wahn belongs to the Air Transport Command. Based on a decision of defence minister Rühe, the three VFW 614 will be taken out of service in 1998, without procuring further Challenger jets. At least, the first of three Eurocopter AS 532U2 Cougars is expected to arrive in Cologne within the next few weeks. The Cougar is significant in progress from the UH-1D: It offers eight to twelve seats, twin-engine safety, and is fully IFR capable. In the area of long-range aircraft, the Flugbereitschaft has taken two Boeing 707s out of service. The remaining two will have to stay until they can be replaced by two Airbus A310s in the medium term. The final goal is a fleet of seven A310s, two of which in a VIP version, one as a passenger aircraft, and four in a freighter-combi version. How the latter can be used as tankers also, is currently being studied. However, the Air Transport Command not only focuses on the appropriate equipment for the expanded mission profile, but also looks at the personnel situation. General Back explains: "We have reached our goal of 1,5 aircrews per Transall. Even though the share of aircraft commanders is still too low, this is only a question of time." The need for aircraft commanders will not diminish since they are in demand at the civil airlines. "When the airlines stock up their capacities we immediately recognize this because of the higher number of pilots giving in their notice", Back knows. Still, he is convinced "that the service with the Luftwaffe is more manifold and more interesting than flying for Lufthansa". From page 20 of FLUG REVUE 11/97 Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 11/97 Copyright 1997 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved. Last updated October 16, 1997 FLUG REVUE, Ubierstr. 83, 53173 Bonn, Germany