Sagem is preparing to offer an armed upgrade package for the French Air Force's Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, company officials told IHS Jane's .
The upgrade would include arming the Hercules with the SSA-1101 Gerfaut system, allowing the C-130 to carry and deploy as many as eight Sagem AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) precision guided munitions (PGMs). The SSA-1101 Gerfaut has been under development since 2012 by Sagem, Rafaut, and AA/ROK.
"We can guarantee a range of 30 km for an AASM dropped at 25,000 ft and 190 kt," a Sagem official told IHS Jane's . The company will soon make an unsolicited bid to the French defence procurement agency, the DGA, outlining its armed-Hercules proposal.
Computer simulations conducted in 2014 confirmed the aerodynamic loading and the possibility to drop 250 kg bombs from the cargo aircraft, Sagem said. Four PGMs could be carried under each wing in place of the external fuel tank.
The aircraft would use the Rafaut AUF-2 adaptor - already used on the Mirage 2000Ds - allowing two bombs to be carried. A 5.8 m support structure, which has yet to be developed by Rafaut, would provide the interface between both AUF-2 and the C-130 wing pylon.
Rafaut plans to integrate all the electronics necessary to fire the AASM and even a Rover trans-receiver in this support. Meanwhile, Sagem has already developed the necessary hardware for the Moroccan Mirage F1 modernisation package, which included AASM capabilities. "Using them on the C-130 wouldn't be a problem," said the Sagem official.
The SSA-1101's mission system interface would be fitted in the cargo hold or in the cockpit of the C-130, with a direct link to the AUF-2 adaptor and the AASMs. This mission system would be totally independent from the C-130 own avionics, meaning integration work would be reduced to the minimum and the aircraft would retain its cargo capacity.
