The company has signed a subcontract with Sabena technics to provide MissionCare engine sustainment for the binational squadron’s ten C-130J and KC-130J aircraft at Évreux until December 2030.
Rolls-Royce has finalised an agreement with Sabena technics to provide propulsion support for the binational French-German fleet of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft until December 2030, the company stated.
The agreement follows a contract awarded in January 2026 by France’s Directorate of Aeronautical Maintenance, which named Sabena technics as prime contractor for the ten-year CAROLUS operational readiness and maintenance programme. The new subcontract brings in Rolls-Royce as the strategic propulsion partner, using its MissionCare model to support readiness for the joint fleet.
Under the contract, Rolls-Royce will provide flight-hour-based sustainment services for the fleet’s AE 2100D3 turboprop engines. The fleet comprises five C-130J transport aircraft and five KC-130J tanker aircraft, operated by the Binational Air Transport Squadron based at Évreux-Fauville Air Base 105 in France.
Meagan Rater, Director of US Mature Programmes for Defence at Rolls-Royce, was quoted in the press release as saying: “Bringing our MissionCare program to the joint French-German C-130J fleet means we can embed our team directly alongside Sabena technics. This is not just a services contract, it is a hands-on partnership where our OEM engineering expertise will be on the ground every day. By integrating our Field Service Representatives and logistics directly into their daily operations, we are ensuring maximum engine availability and keeping these critical strategic assets flight-ready for every mission.”
Hervé Grandjean, CEO of Sabena technics, was quoted in the press release as saying: “With the award of the CAROLUS contract, our vision is to build an integrated support network capable of guaranteeing availability for the French-German fleet. Bringing Rolls-Royce into this ecosystem with their MissionCare program completes that vision. With the engine OEM embedded alongside our teams on the ground means we are proactively managing aircraft readiness together, ensuring the vital, binational squadron is always ready to deploy.”
According to Rolls-Royce, its Field Service Representatives will be based at Évreux-Fauville Air Base alongside Sabena technics, and at the company’s primary maintenance, repair and overhaul hub in Bordeaux. The MissionCare programme is intended to ensure the engines meet mission-readiness thresholds, with integrated logistics and spares support in place.
The Binational Air Transport Squadron was established by France and Germany at Évreux as a jointly operated tactical airlift and air-to-air refuelling unit, pooling the two nations’ C-130J and KC-130J aircraft under a single command. It reached full operational capability in recent years and stands as one of the more concrete examples of Franco-German defence cooperation, giving both air forces access to a shared Hercules capability alongside their larger A400M fleets.
The AE 2100 powers the C-130J family and is built by Rolls-Royce, which markets its MissionCare arrangements as availability-based contracts under which the manufacturer is paid against engine flying hours and readiness rather than for individual repairs, aligning the sustainment provider’s incentives with keeping aircraft in the air.
