Yet more examples over the past few days why the US military air-to-air refueling capability situation is going to get worse before it gets better leaving the door wide open for any contractor like $TMPS who can help out with both increased capacity and cost-cutting.

The entire USN / USMC KC-130T fleet (originally 30 aircraft built - based on the C-130H) remains grounded over 8 months after the loss of an aircraft on July 10, 2017 after it appeared to suffer a mid-air explosion and break-up at 20,000ft resulting in the tragic loss of all 16 persons on board.

This left the USN Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team without a support aircraft and a suitable replacement could not be provided by either the USN or USAF. The UK MOD has agreed to release a much newer C-130J from storage now that the RAF has upgraded to the state-of-the-art Airbus 400M Atlas aircraft.

Here are the details of the UK > US transfer of the C-130J:

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19570/bl...-transport.

Incidentally, some European air forces who are buying the A400M are going to use it as a Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) so there is yet another option for $TMPS to add to its fleet later by buying an off-the-shelf item once they have banked some profit from a few years of $30M+ contracts [based on the contracts Omega have been getting for less capacity].

Here are a few videos of the A400M Atlas - an option for $TMPS in future:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMqH3DmsRRI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQk5a0z_rW4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM6kGTVuv08

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZoiJDscsYc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpAriW4GSXg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRp-p-FxXH8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDBVBZxsp5o

Meanwhile, in the budget just signed off by President Trump, only 15 x KC-46 were ordered by the USAF for $2.9 Billion. Boeing has failed to deliver a single operational aircraft to the front-line yet and is $2 Billion in the red already on the fixed contract with fines and tax.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_KC-46_Pegasus

The big cheeses at Airbus must be musing to themselves that "karma is a beach" as they clean up the European, Middle East and Asian markets with the A330 MRTT (51 ordered) and A400M (174 ordered) !

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A330_MRTT

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A400M_Atlas

The US military replacement air-to-air refueling tanker story will probably run for at least 10 to 20 years now.

- Will the USAF still buy the 179 x KC-46s originally planned ?

- Will the USAF consider a mix of KC-46s and some other aircraft (A330 MRTT or A400M) ?

- Will the USN/USMC have to replace the KC-130T if structural integrity is in doubt - will it buy more KC-130J or upgrade to A400M ?

- Will the USAF and / or USN/USMC consider contracting out some tasks permanently ?

Anything could happen - particularly with President Trump's willingness to challenge nonsense decisions and unreasonable asking prices from manufacturers (as already shown with the Air Force One replacements and the F-35).

$TMPS should be in a good position in a few years time to take advantage of any windows of opportunity that present themselves - possibly using Private Finance Initiatives to expand rapidly by buying off-the shelf solutions .