Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on air mobility interoperability with (a) the US, (b) NATO, (c) European and (d) other allies of an early retirement of the C-130J; and if he will make a statement.

The A400M was manufactured and introduced into service by an international consortium (with a UK manufacturing share of around 18 per cent). Interoperability is a key tenet of MOD's Integrated Operating Concept. The C130J is widely used around the world, but the A400M is also operated by a number of important allies and partners, and has also successfully operated alongside US forces, on both exercises and operations.