C-130

by **Hammercore** Sun 14 Apr 2019, 9:57 pm

RCAF facing problems getting enough parts for C-130J Hercules transport planes - wheels being taken from older aircraft

Canada operates 17 of the four-engine aircraft, which were first delivered from Lockheed Martin in 2010

US Marines board a C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft headed to Kandahar as British and US forces withdraw from the Camp Bastion-Leatherneck complex at Lashkar Gah in Helmand province on October 27, 2014. British forces October 26 handed over formal control of their last base in Afghanistan to Afghan forces, ending combat operations in the country after 13 years which cost hundreds of lives. The Union Jack was lowered at Camp Bastion in the southern province of Helmand, while the Stars and Stripes came down at the adjacent Camp Leatherneck -- the last US Marine base in the country.

David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen
April 14, 2019

The Canadian military’s main fleet of transport aircraft have been dogged with problems over the last several years, prompting a warning at one point that the lack of the availability of the planes was having a significant impact.

There have been problems getting enough parts for the C-130J Hercules transport aircraft fleet, forcing the Royal Canadian Air Force to use wheels and tire assemblies from older Hercules on the new planes.

In 2017 an issue with avionics on one of the C-130Js prompted restrictions on the use of the aircraft fleet and a warning the problem was hindering the military’s support to efforts to fight wildfires in British Columbia and Manitoba. “The current CC130J fleet serviceability issue is initially assessed to have significant operational impact, as the currently routine transportation of people/equipment will be undermined by unreliability,” warned an update for military commanders in August 2017. That update was obtained by Postmedia using the Access to Information law.

Canada operates 17 of the four-engine aircraft, which were first delivered from Lockheed Martin in 2010.

David Lavallee, a spokesman for 1 Canadian Air Division, stated in an email there is no one single serviceability issue that has limited the RCAF’s ability to conduct operations with the C-130J fleet in any significant way. “That said, there have been a few technical issues that have affected aircraft availability and serviceability over longer periods,” he noted.

Parts with long lead times, as well as an increase in the number of deployed aircraft supported overseas, have resulted in aircraft being offline longer than desired

Lavallee pointed to the ongoing problem getting parts from the aircraft’s manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. “Parts with long lead times, as well as an increase in the number of deployed aircraft supported overseas, have resulted in aircraft being offline longer than desired,” he acknowledged.

Discussions are underway with the U.S. firm to increase their support in providing parts. As well, the RCAF is also making use of wheel and tire assemblies from the older C-130H fleet to support the C-130Js, Lavallee said.

He stated that “so far, parts availability has not had any impact on operations.”

In August 2017 the RCAF limited certain operations the aircraft could take part in after the avionics system failed on a C-130J aircraft flying in British Columbia, he noted.

He stated that had a “limited impact” on Operation Lentus — the military’s response to natural disasters — as well as some Arctic operations.

The cause was determined to be a loose wire and restrictions on the fleet were lifted in October 2017.

Last year another C-130J was briefly side-lined after the aircraft oxygen system was contaminated because of an error during routine maintenance.

Cindy Tessier, spokesperson for Lockheed Martin Canada, noted the firm is constant communication with Procurement Canada, the Defence department and the air force “to ensure the highest level of collaboration and expectations are met.”

We are aware of this issue and are working with our supply chain to mitigate the impact on our Hercules in Canada,” she added in an email, referring to the problems with the RCAF obtaining enough C-130J parts.

The previous Conservative government purchased the C-130Js from Lockheed Martin in a contract worth more than $1.4 billion. Lockheed was also awarded an initial in-service support contract for $723 million, which covered the planes until 2016. In July 2016 Lockheed Martin was awarded another in-service service valued at $504 million.

Lavallee said so far this fiscal year, the C-130J fleet has flown its highest yearly flying rate since delivery at approximately 9,700 hours. That is compared to 7,200 hours for the same period last year. “Despite the high operational tempo, average aircraft availability remains above what is required,” he noted.

The aircraft have been used in Afghanistan as well as to support Canada’s Iraq mission to Iraq and Mali. Domestically the planes are used in various responses to natural disasters as well as to support resupply missions to the Arctic.

dpugliese@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/davidpugliese

https://nationalpost.com/news/rcaf-facing-problems-getting-enough-parts-for-c-130j-hercules-transport-planes-wheels-being-taken-from-older-aircraft