Originally Posted by
PocketDisco
A genuine but rather noddy question, what is it that the Herc can do that we won’t be able to do with the A400m? I’d understood it to be very capable, and I promise I don’t work for Airbus
Ultimately, nothing. Once all of the A400Ms' capabilities and clearances are rolled out, it will be able to do everything that the Herc can do and more. The issue is one of numbers and economics, in that having fewer A400Ms means a reduction in mass which will result in a loss of capability. In terms of economics, it will be massively more expensive to transport a (typically) small SOF team in the back of a larger and more expensive to operate A400M than it would a Herc, and also the nature of SOF work means a far greater risk to losing/seriously damaging an airframe which given the fewer numbers would be a bigger issue than currently.