[oztankboy]

Hi there!

Well Australia is just about to aquire up to 4 C-17A's to supliment is fleet of C-130H & J's and Caribous.

The Herc J's are a great piece of kit but just can't cut it with the C-17 when it comes to distance and carco lift.

C-130J:- Max cargo 16 tonnes, speed 640kph @ 22,000'
C-17:- Max cargo 74.797 tonnes, speed 810kph @ 45,000'

To put this in real terms a C-130J flying from Aust to Baghdad with 12 tonne of cargo would have to refuel twice on route where as the C-17 carrying 15 tonnes could do it non stop.

Also try and put a M1A1 Abram into a C-130 and yes Austraia is getting 54 of them... first deliveries should be befor the end of this year.

And just a foot note:-

Aust was the 1st country out side the USA to purchase the C-130A's and I could be wrong but we may also have been the 1st to get the "J" model as well.

Plus looks like we are getting some more CH-47 Chinooks. We currently have 4.

Phil...