Australia to buy 20 Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft at a cost of $6.61bn

The Royal Australian Air Force is set to be reinforced with a new batch of military transport aircraft. The country has its eye on Lockheed Martin's C-130J Super Hercules.

Here's What We Know

Australia will buy 20 military transport aircraft at a cost of AU$9.8bn ($6.61bn). A Royal Air Force spokesman said the purchase would double the fleet, providing a boost in mobility.

The service now uses C-17 Globe Master and C-27J Spartan aircraft. Deliveries of Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules will begin in 2027. By the end of the decade, the Royal Australian Air Force hopes to receive the first 12 aircraft.

The purchase of the Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules comes as no surprise. Late last autumn, the US Congress approved the sale of 24 aircraft. A Royal Australian Air Force spokesman said a departmental board decided to reduce the order to 20 units.

Source: Breaking Defence