 |
| The British Ministry of Defense Will Sell 14 C-130J Units |
London - The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) has included a fleet of C-130J Super Hercules belonging to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in its list of military equipment for sale. A total of 14 C-130J RAF will be sold through the Defense Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) mechanism from 2023 to 2025. The sale of this large Super Hercules fleet is as if the British Ministry of Defense is doing a 'cleansing'.
The UK-based company, Marshall Aerospace, is said to be the main partner for the sale of all the transport aircraft. Marshall Aerospace will also provide maintenance and capability enhancement services if needed.
 |
| The RAF C-130J Super Hercules Aircraft |
The plan to retire the RAF's C-130J fleet had actually been announced previously in the 2021 Defense Command Document. This plan had sparked debate with British lawmakers who said the loss of the C-130J would harm the RAF's operational capabilities. By selling Lockheed Martin's C-130J fleet, the RAF will replace the role of the aircraft with the A400M made by Airbus Defense and Space.
RAF detailed, in terms of transport capacity the C-130J can carry a maximum payload of 19,958 kg. Meanwhile, the A400M is capable of carrying a load of 37,000 kg. In terms of cruising capabilities, the C-130J is able to reach a distance of 3,334 km. Meanwhile, the A400M can reach twice that, namely as far as 7,593 km.
The C-130J's maximum flight speed is 645 km/hour. While the A400M can fly with a maximum speed of 741 km/hour. The C-130J's maximum flight altitude is 8,535 m. While the A400M can reach a maximum altitude of 12,000 m.