Last year it was a Swedish Air Force C-130 that provided support. Why not?
It makes perfect sense to use the pooling system. Not every European nation is as heavily committed as the UK to operational theatres. Such pooling, as with the German C-160s used, frees up an RAF C-130 and its crew to concentrate on training for, or utilisation for overseas missions.
It is going to be the way of the future with many EU nations joining the European Air Transport Fleet in the next decade. If you have surplus lift sitting within either NATO, Partnership for Peace, or EU agreements then make full use of it. IMHO.
I didn't catch the C-160s, but caught the first wave of Reds as they departed.
TJ