Germany and France have signed an agreement on October 18 to set up a joint air transport unit. Under the agreement, four French and six German C-130J Hercules transport aircraft will be stationed at the French air base at Évreux. 

the squadron is planned to achieve Initial Operational Capability (IOC) by 2021 and full operational capability (FOC) by 2024. This cooperation is intended to close a limited gap in German air transport capability, which is due to be open after the current C-160 Transall transports are phased out in 2021. 

The detailed planning for the German-French air transport squadron will be completed by mid-2018 and an intergovernmental agreement will be signed subsequently.