Por esta altura o CEMFA deve estar a rogar pragas a todos os Executivos e MDNs que ao longo das duas últimas décadas foram empurrando cada vez para mais tarde a modernização dos C-130H até à recente decisão de ser cancelada...

Seja efeito Bolsonaro ou efeito Boeing (arqui-rival da Lockheed Martin, não nos esqueçamos), urge averiguar isso o quanto antes. Se quanto a helicópteros vamos ficar em exclusividade nas mãos da Leonardo, qual seria o mal de ficarmos na da Lockheed Martin mantendo o C-130, F-16V e depois F-35, e P-3?
O programa C-130 pode até ter 6 décadas de vida (20 anos de vida para o J) e ser mais lento do que o KC-390 por não ser movido a jacto, mas é completamente interoperável com praticamente toda a Aliança Atlântica ao contrário do que aconteceria com o cargueiro militar da Embraer. Senão vejamos que nações da NATO/UE/UEO o operam:
- Portugal;
- Espanha;
- França;
- Reino Unido;
- Holanda;
- Bélgica;
- Alemanha;
- Itália;
- Grécia;
- Turquia;
- Polónia;
- Roménia;
- Dinamarca;
- Noruega;
- Suécia;
- Áustria;
- Canadá;
- EUA.
E que tal uma solução que conhecemos bem chamada C130H?

http://www.planecheck.com/index.asp?ent=da&id=14314&cor=y
Description (WE ALSO HAVE AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE SALE THREE (3) LOW TIME/ LOW SEVERITY FACTOR (MEP) C-130H CENTER WING BOXES IN DRY U.S. DESERT DEEP PRESERVATION STORAGE).
THIS AIRCRAFT HAS THE LOWEST HOURS, (EBH) CYCLES AND SEVERITY FACTOR RATINGS OF ANY C-130H IN THE WORLD. AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE TOTAL TIME EQUIVALENT BASELINE HOURS SINCE FACTORY NEW (EBH) : 2,680 HRS -- BECAUSE OF ITS MISSION HISTORY. NO DAMAGE OR ACCIDENT HISTORY, NO HARD LANDINGS AND NO UNPAVED SURFACE LANDINGS SINCE NEW. FURTHERMORE, THIS AIRCRAFT HAS NEVER BEEN OPERATED AS CARGO, LOGISTICS OR TACTICAL PLATFORM.
LOCKHEED MARTIN C-130H, SERIAL NUMBER 4932, HAS RECENTLY COMPLETED ITS PHASE ONE (1) HEAVY PDM AND UPGRADE PROGRAM AT THE ONLY LOCKHEED MARTIN C-130 SERVICE CENTER IN NORTH AMERICA, AND IS AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE SALE.
PHASE TWO (2) (LAST PHASE) WILL BE THE EXTERIOR PAINTING OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE SELECTION OF THE POWER PLANT AND THE AVIONICS EQUIPMENT, ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PREFERENCE OF THE EVENTUAL BUYER (ULTIMATE END USER).
ALL REQUIRED SPECIAL INSPECTIONS (SP) AND STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS (ST) HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
ALL TIME CHANGES AND ON CONDITION COMPONENTS (ALL REMOVABLE PARTS) HAVE ZERO (0) TIME SINCE OVERHAUL AND/OR ARE FACTORY NEW.
NO MAJOR SCHEDULED INSPECTIONS OR COMPONENTS REPLACEMENTS WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THREE (3) YEARS / 2400 FLIGHT HOURS (FH).
THIS AIRCRAFT WAS PLACED IN DEEP PRESERVATION STORAGE IN THE U.S. DRY AND ARID DESERT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THIS IMPECCABLE HERCULES WAS ONLY AND EXCLUSIVELY OPERATED AS A COMMUNICATION PLATFORM, AND NEVER AS A CARGO, LOGISTIC, TRANSPORT OR TACTICAL AIRCRAFT, IT NEVER HAD A CARGO FLOOR.
OUR AIRCRAFT WILL BE DELIVERED WITH A CARGO FLOOR, A DUAL RAILING CARGO HANDLING SYSTEM AND A COMPLETE 92 SEAT OPERATIONAL PARATROOP SYSTEM. AIR FORCE (END-USER) OPTIONS TO BE DELIVERED WITH THE AIRCRAFT WILL BE POWER PLANT AND AVIONICS.
IT IS THE ONLY VERY LOW TIME/CYCLE C-130H MODEL FOR SALE WORLDWIDE WITH AN EQUIVALENT BASELINE HOURS (EBH) OF 5,154 HOURS SINCE FACTORY NEW AND 2,129 LANDINGS (CYCLES).
CENTER WING REMAINING SERVICE LIFE IS 39,846 HOURS, AND OUTER WINGS REMAINING SERVICE LIFE IS 54,846 HOURS. IT HAS OVER 30 YEARS OF STRUCTURAL LIFE REMAINING AND A DOCUMENTED LOCKHEED MARTIN CERTIFICATION OF ALL EBH AND SF (SEVERITY FACTOR) AND SLA (SEVERITY LIFE ANALYSIS) AS OF 11/ 2014.
A COMPLETE BROCHURE AND SPECS SHEET FOR THE AIRCRAFT IS AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS VARIOUS OPTIONS THAT A CANDIDATE AIR FORCE CAN UNDERTAKE ON ITS OWN.
FINANCING IS AVAILABLE AND CAN BE COORDINATED WITH LIONHEART INTERNATIONAL, INC.
WE ALSO HAVE AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE SALE THREE (3) LOW TIME/ LOW SEVERITY FACTOR (MEP) C-130H CENTER WINGS IN U.S. DESERT DEEP STORAGE.
Airplane time state FUSELAGE TOTAL TIME EQUIVALENT BASELINE HOURS SINCE FACTORY NEW (EBH) : 2,680 HRS.
AIRCRAFT TOTAL LANDINGS (CYCLES) : 2,129
CENTER WING REMAINING SERVICE LIFE : 39,846 HRS
OUTER WINGS REMAINING SERVICE LIFE : 54,846 HRS
Interior NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE HISTORY OF ANY KIND
Exterior NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE HISTORY OF ANY KIND
Remarks THE LOCKHEED C-130 HERCULES AIRCRAFT IS CATEGORIZED ON THE U.S. MUNITIONS LIST (USML) OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS (ITAR) AND, THEREFORE, IS SUBJECT TO CONTROL UNDER THE ARMS EXPORT CONTROL ACT (AECA).
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ANY SALES
AND/OR EXPORTS WILL BE MADE ONLY IN FULL
COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE U.S.LAWS.
THE SALE, EXPORT OR SUBSEQUENT TRANSFER
OF THIS AIRCRAFT IS SUBJECT TO PRIOR APPROVAL BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
ANY SALE, EXPORT OR SUBSEQUENT TRANSFER OF THIS AIRCRAFT IS CONTINGENT UPON RECEIPT OF THE NECESSARY U.S. GOVERNMENT AUTHORIZATION.
THIS IMPECCABLE AND VERY UNIQUE C-130H HERCULES AIRCRAFT HAS ''NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE HISTORY OF ANY KIND''


É o que muitas nações, e bem mais endinheiradas que nós, estão a optar por fazer: ou o upgrade das suas células (alguém ainda se lembra do AMP?) ou a compra de aeronaves com mais tempo de vida útil que estejam armazenadas no deserto, como por exemplo fez a Holanda há uns anos ao adquirir 2 antigos C-130 que se encontravam já no AMARG e convertê-los para a versão H, depois assegurando um contrato de manutenção de longa duração para suportar toda a frota até à saída de serviços dos aparelhos em 2032/33:
http://www.airrecognition.com/index.php/archive-world-worldwide-news-air-force-aviation-aerospace-air-military-defence-industry/global-defense-security-news/global-news-2018/december/4726-marshall-secures-14-year-contract-for-rnlaf-c-130h-fleet-support.htmlA roda já foi inventada há muito tempo, toca a rolar!
