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PARIS - Lockheed Martin has demonstrated the C-130J airlifter to three potential customers, including the French Air Force, while it has the aircraft here at the Paris Air Show this week.
The U.S. company would not identify the other two countries whose representatives were given demo flights, but there's no shortage of potential customers lining up since the rival Airbus A400M was hamstrung by delays.
Lockheed has two C-130Js at the show - a company aircraft and a brand new U.S. Air Force plane that will be deployed to Iraq shortly after the show ends. The Air Force C-130J is being flown by a Lockheed crew each day, giving a dramatic air display that leaves the crowds and potential customers in no doubt of its short-takeoff/short landing capabilities and high maneuverability.
Over 260 C-130Js have been ordered by 11 countries and 173 have been delivered. The company has ramped up production rate at its Marietta, Ga., plant from 12 a year in 2008 to 16 this year. It will increase again next year to 27, but Lockheed spokesman Peter Simmons says it can go up to 36 a year, "and we fully expect that to happen."
Key to that ramp-up will be cashing in on the A400M's current problems and prying away some A400M customers that have urgent transport aircraft requirements and that are now weighing up potential gap-filling options. That includes several European countries, but also Malaysia and South Africa.
The A400M was launched in 2003 with orders for 180 planes from Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey.
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