Demand For Light Tactical Transport Aircraft Booming | 小型戦術輸送機の需要が急増

A buoyant market exists for light tactical transports like the Airbus C295 as the process of replacing legacy fleets gathers pace.
Credit: Airbus

小型戦術輸送機は軍用機マーケットにおいてさほど注目されない分野ではあるが、近代化の波が押し寄せている分野でもある。旧式機の退役が進む中で、各国の空軍はこれらの機体が持つニッチな能力を維持しようとしている。

 

現在のマーケットが好調なのは、アントノフAn-24(1960年代初頭に配備開始)に代表される冷戦期の機体が大量に退役しているためだ。現在、世界中で414機のAn-24が運用されており、運用中の小型戦術輸送機の42%を占めている。

Light tactical transport aircraft may not represent the most high-profile segment within the military aircraft market, but it is a segment where a wave of modernization is currently underway. As legacy fleets are phased out, many air forces around the world are seeking to sustain the niche capability these platforms provide.

 

The buoyant state of the current market is driven largely by the withdrawal of large numbers of Cold War era aircraft—especially the Antonov An-24 family, which first entered service in the early 1960s. At present 414 of these aircraft are still in operation around the world, representing 42% of all light tactical transport aircraft in service globally.