Aircraft
BAE 146 seeks new role in military support
With the delay to the Airbus A400M in mind, as well as tight defense budgets, BAE Systems Regional Aircraft’s Asset Management unit is marketing surplus Br

With the delay to the Airbus A400M in mind, as well as tight defense budgets, BAE Systems Regional Aircraft’s Asset Management unit is marketing surplus British Aerospace 146-200 and -300 airliners to military customers as low-cost tactical transports under the model name BAe 146M. BAE owns 47 of the four-engine, high-wing jets, many of which are now coming off lease as airlines replace them with new regional jets.

Although the 146 does not have a rear-loading ramp, “it could be a complementary utility aircraft to hard-pressed tactical airlift assets,” according to Andy Whelan, BAE sales director. BAE will soon have two 146s available with side cargo doors, which the company converted speculatively but for which it failed to find takers in the airfreight or express business. They can carry 22,050 to 26,460 pounds of payload.