DND says PH to acquire 3 brand new C-130 aircraft from US firm

FILE PHOTO: A US Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft is unloaded after landing at Jasionka Airport near Rzeszow, Poland February 4, 2022. (REUTERS/Kacper Pempel)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will acquire three additional brand new C-130 aircraft from a US firm, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Tuesday.

The DND has already issued a Notice to Proceed to buy three C-130J-30 Super Hercules from Lockheed Martin, a global security and aerospace company. The purchase is part of the AFP Modernization Program-Horizon 2.

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The three C-130 aircraft will be delivered one by one in July and October 2026 and in January 2027, and will be committed to the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

“The additional cargo space of the C-130J-30, coupled with the reliability of C-130 aircraft we have in our current fleet, will provide our Air Force with greater operational flexibility,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement.

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“These features will empower our PAF to meet the demands of the AFP’s (Armed Forces of the Philippines) tactical missions more effectively,” he added.

Currently, PAF operates a mixed fleet of C-130s that are primarily used to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as military operations.

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