"neither operationally effective nor operationally suitable"....
2 main points here DD that you seem to had missed/confused/ignored:
- this report is from the US - who's C130J programme is nowhere near as advanced as some. The RAF, as lead nation, has used its fleet very operationally for many years now (and I know as I was there - were you?) there therefore are more advanced.
- secondly, and most importantly, if it is that bad, shouldn't we demand that they all come home from the many Ops that they are on?????
Yes you are right it is noisey - maybe we should retro fit some turbo fans, and it is slow - so maybe we should retro fit swept wings, and yes it can't carry some of the 'outsized' loads - maybe we could make it a bit bigger.....
..... oh hang on a minute that is a C17!!!!! maybe we should just buy a few more of them
but on the other hand it can't get into a tiny weeney TLZ the size of a football pitch or air drop 16 tonnes of stores into a courtyard the size of a postage stamp - maybe we could retro fit some rotors and call it a helicopter!
Maybe it fits somewhere in between...... as it is the same size and shape as a K, maybe it could do a TacAT role ferrying kit, troops, vehicles, ammunition, around theatre and air dropping vital supplies of food water and ammunition to forward deployed troops.
But then you are obviously the expert sat in you check list office harking back to the good old days
. Why doesn't everyone support our troops and emphasize the positive bits rather than just start another slanging match in the name of 'banter' and belittle everything that has, and is being, achieved with what is a great tactical transporter which has become the backbone of deployed ops.
