Thursday, March 28, 2024

New Zealand Air Force to receive five new C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft

New Zealand Minister of Defense Ron Mark has announced that country’s Air Force plans to replace the current C130-H Hercules fleet with five C-130J-30 Super Hercules transport aircraft.

Defense Minister Ron Mark confirmed the purchase of the C-130J-30 Super Hercules transport aircraft on 5 June at Royal New Zealand Air Force Base Whenuapai.

“Generations of New Zealanders have grown up and grown old with the Hercules, and they know these aircraft are an essential first line of response,” Mark said.

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

According to the NZ Herald, as part of $1.521 billion project, the New Zealand Air Force will receive the first of five C-130J-30 transport aircraft in 2024 and the Super Hercules fleet to be operational in 2025.

The project also includes a full mission simulator and other supporting infrastructure.

The C-130J-30 Super Hercules incorporates state-of-the-art technology to reduce manpower requirements, lower operation and support costs, thus providing life-cycle cost savings over earlier C-130 models.

The J-model airframe offers a longer fuselage with additional pallet positions for added airlift capacity, an updated cockpit with digital avionics, more efficient engines and propellers, which increase range and speed and many other improvements.

If you would like to show your support for what we are doing, here's where to do it.

If you wish to report grammatical or factual errors within our news articles, you can let us know by using the online feedback form.

Executive Editor

About author:

Colton Jones
Colton Jones
Colton Jones is the deputy editor of Defence Blog. He is a US-based journalist, writer and publisher who specializes in the defense industry in North America and Europe. He has written about emerging technology in military magazines and elsewhere. He is a former Air Force airmen and served at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

TRENDING NOW

Ukraine uncovers secrets of Russia’s new hypersonic missile

Ukrainian analysts have unveiled the classified specs of Russia's shadowy hypersonic cruise missile, the 3M22 Zircon, intercepted by US-made missile defense systems over Kyiv,...