The Joint Future European Airlifter (JFEA) program is a tri-nation project being undertaken by France, Germany, and Sweden seeking to develop a "universal" tactical-level transport. The design would be used to succeed the aging lines of American Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" and Spanish CASA CN235 high-winged turbo-prop-powered types set to one day reach their serviceable lives. The new aircraft would retain all of the capabilities inherent in such designs, including short-field / rough-field operation and excellent "low-and-slow" performance, and utilized existing components already being manufactured by Airbus Military for the four-engined A400M "Atlas" strategic transport (thus keeping developmental, procurement, and operational costs in check).
The three nations signed a development agreement announced on June 30th, 2022.
Currently (2022), the C-130 and CN235 are operated by a bevy of global defense forces and notable for this extreme level of versatility - allowing them to operate in most any theater and undertake most any over-battlefield role. The high-winged nature of these designs provides the perfect balance of drag-versus-lift, allowing them to be fielded from short unprepared runways with the same reliability as a hardened runway at a regional airport. A cargo ramp under the empennage provides unfettered access to the hold within where pallets upon pallets can be stored for long-distance journeys.
The airframes of these aircraft have allowed the two designs to see service in the general transport, Search and Rescue (SAR), Electronic Warfare (EW), Maritime Patrol (MP), SPECial OPerationS (SPEOCOPS) support, environmental data collection, hurricane research, and humanitarian mission support roles (among others).
The new European solution would have to match this and, in some cases, exceed its own value in a potentially lucrative emerging market for all-modern tactical airlifters. The aircraft would most certainly have to achieve a better level of success than the Franco-German Transall C-160 of the late-1960s which saw production reach just over 200 units with customers in France, Germany, Indonesia, South Africa, and Turkey and not run into the setbacks suffered in the A400M program.
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July 2022 - Sweden and Germany have both joined the French-led JFEA initiative.
France (probable); Germany (probable); Sweden (probable)
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
✓Close-Air Support (CAS)
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.
✓Special-Mission: Airborne Early Warning (AEW)
Specially-equipped platform providing over-battlefield Command and Control (C2) capability for allied aerial elements.
✓Special-Mission: Electronic Warfare (EW)
Equipped to actively deny adversaries the ElectroMagnetic (EM) spectrum and protect said spectrum for allied forces.
✓Special-Mission: MEDical EVACuation (MEDEVAC)
Extraction of wounded combat or civilian elements by way of specialized onboard equipment and available internal volume or external carrying capability.
✓Special-Mission: Search & Rescue (SAR)
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).
✓Transport
General transport functionality to move supplies/cargo or personnel (including wounded and VIP) over range.
✓VIP Service
Used in the Very-Important-Person (VIP) passenger transport role, typically with above-average amenities and luxuries as standard.
✓X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
✓Special Forces
Serving Special Forces / Special Operations elements and missions.
monoplane / high-mounted / straight
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
High-Mounted
Mainplanes are mounted at the upper-most position allowable along the dorsal line of the fuselage.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.
(Structural descriptors pertain to the Airbus JFEA production variant)
Installed:
2 x Truboprop engines of unknown make, model, and output power driving "scimitar" style propeller blades.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Airbus JFEA production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
None.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
JFEA ("Joint Future European Airlifter") - Base Project Name.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
Similar Aircraft
Aviation developments of similar form and function, or related to, the Airbus Joint Future European Airlifter (JFEA)...
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France (probable); Germany (probable); Sweden (probable)
