Italian C-27J transport aircraft. French A400M transport aircraft. According to foreign media reports, at the 55th Paris Air Show held recently, several European countries released plans for the procurement and upgrading of transport aircraft. Among them, Portugal signed the sixth KC-390 refueling/transport aircraft procurement agreement and obtained the option to purchase 10 aircraft, Lithuania established the intention to purchase 3 C-390 transport aircraft, the Netherlands equipped the active C-390 with a modular medical evacuation system, and France announced that its A400M transport aircraft has full combat capability. Against the backdrop of a general increase in military spending in many European countries, this series of actions reflects a new trend in the development of European transport aircraft and has attracted attention from multiple parties. The development level varies, and transport aircraft is the core equipment for the military to carry out air delivery tasks. Due to differences in strategic goals, economic foundations, and military strength, the development of transport aircraft in many European countries is uneven. Data shows that there are over 500 active transport aircraft of various types in Europe. France leads with 84, Spain with 75, Türkiye with 68, Germany and Britain with 54 and 45 respectively. In addition, some countries only have 1 to 2 or have not yet installed them. From the distribution of aircraft types, light transport aircraft include 31 C-212 and 110 CN-235, medium transport aircraft include 55 C-295, more than 110 C-130 of various types, more than 30 C-27J and 3 C-390, medium and large transport aircraft mainly consist of 126 A400M, and large transport aircraft mainly consist of 8 C-17. Foreign media analysis suggests that the European transport aircraft industry has long faced a situation of coexistence of "cooperation" and "competition". In terms of cooperation, joint development is a tradition in Europe. In the 1960s, France and Germany jointly developed the C-160 transport aircraft, with a total of 160 in service in Europe. In the 1990s, eight European countries jointly developed the A400M transport aircraft. In 2020, France took the lead in promoting the "Future Medium Tactical Transport Aircraft" project and received responses from countries such as Germany, Switzerland, and Spain, receiving 30 million euros (approximately 34 million US dollars) in research and development funding under the framework of "permanent structural cooperation". In terms of competition, the C-27J led by Italian company Alenia and the C-295 launched by Airbus have similar performance in terms of body size, load capacity, and range, forming direct competition - the C-27J is in service in 7 countries including Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania, and the C-295 is in service in 7 countries including the Czech Republic and Finland. Analysts believe that due to limited procurement funds in most European countries, these two types of medium transport aircraft not only compete with each other, but also have a certain degree of market overlap with the larger A400M. The overall strength continues to improve. In recent years, the development of European transport aircraft has significantly accelerated, mainly showing the following trends. One is the acceleration of procurement and modernization processes. On the basis of collectively purchasing 170 A400M aircraft, multiple countries continue to increase their efforts. Slovenia will receive its first C-27J in December 2023, achieving zero breakthrough for medium transport aircraft; Spain will order 16 C-295s in December 2023, with a contract amount of 1.695 billion euros; Poland signed a € 103 million upgrade contract with Airbus in December 2024, with plans to upgrade 16 C-295s by 2033. During this year's Paris Air Show, Portugal announced the signing of its sixth KC-390 procurement agreement with Embraer and obtained the option to purchase 10 aircraft. Lithuania also confirmed its intention to purchase 3 C-390 aircraft, with contract terms yet to be determined. The second is the deepening of cross-border collaboration mechanisms. Multiple European countries continue to enhance their joint transportation capabilities through cooperation. In 2010, seven European countries established the Air Transport Command, coordinating over 160 transport aircraft resources. In 2017, the European Defense Agency, a subsidiary of the European Union, led 11 countries to establish tactical air transport centers to achieve systematic training for pilots. In 2021, France and Germany established the "BA105" joint transport aircraft squadron at the Evreux base, integrating 10 C-130J and KC-130J aircraft to carry out missions. Currently, the "Future Medium Tactical Transport Aircraft" led by France and the "Super Large Cargo Strategic Air Transport" project coordinated by Germany are advancing simultaneously. The latter has received 19.9 million euros in investment from four countries including the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, aiming to reduce dependence on external strategic transportation. The third is multidimensional breakthroughs in expanding abilities. Driven by market demand, practical testing, and cost control, European transport aircraft place greater emphasis on multidimensional expansion of capabilities. In terms of improving transportation capacity, the focus is on pursuing shorter takeoff and landing distances, lower fuel consumption, longer range, and stronger tactical delivery capabilities. For example, the upgraded C-295 has an 8% increase in range and a 5% decrease in fuel consumption, and can take off and land on a 670 meter unpaved runway. This type of aircraft is also equipped with a brand new airdrop management system, greatly improving the accuracy of material delivery. In terms of expanding support capabilities, many European countries are exploring. For example, the Netherlands has developed a modular medical evacuation system for the C-390, which provides a modular configuration solution that can be integrated with existing cargo loading and unloading systems to achieve functions such as onboard treatment, intensive care, and evacuation and transportation, enabling the C-390 to have the capability of an "air hospital". France is also studying the conversion of the A400M into a ground attack platform, with plans to equip it with low-cost ammunition or long-range air launched missiles to enhance ground support capabilities in specific combat environments. Opportunities and challenges coexist. Foreign media analysis suggests that the significant market demand, demand for independent defense, and innovative combat concepts bring strategic opportunities for the development of European transport aircraft. On the one hand, the demand for transport aircraft in the European market continues to increase, especially as the C-130 purchased by NATO European member states at the end of the Cold War is facing retirement and urgently needs to be replaced. At the same time, the importance of transport aircraft in regional conflicts and humanitarian relief operations has become prominent, further stimulating the procurement demand of multiple countries. On the other hand, the United States is adjusting its European defense policy to accelerate the construction of autonomous air transport capabilities in Europe, attempting to gradually reduce its dependence on the NATO Joint Transport System through joint procurement and other means. More importantly, the strategic value of transport aircraft is constantly increasing, and the concept of distributed warfare centered around transport aircraft is being recognized. Taking A400M as an example, it has additional power supply capability and can serve as an air communication hub and electronic warfare remote jamming platform. It can also act as a "drone carrier" and launch small and medium-sized drones through airdrop. The characteristics of long range, strong adaptability, and easy maintenance inherent in transport aircraft make them particularly effective in medium to low-intensity conflicts. Some also believe that the future development of European transport aircraft still faces structural contradictions. Although there are many participating countries, there are differences in their specific needs for transport aircraft. In the process of advancing the "Future Medium Tactical Transport Aircraft" project and the "Strategic Air Transport of Extra Large Cargo" project, it is still necessary to quickly form a unified design standard. The market competition of models such as C-27J and C-295 may lead to resource dispersion and redundant construction. Meanwhile, the situation where European strategic transport aircraft rely on external supply has not fundamentally changed. How to find a balance between independent innovation and international cooperation, cost control and capability enhancement will determine the long-term development trajectory of the European transport aircraft field. (New Society)