A Royal Air Force (RAF) of the UK is getting rid of its fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules tactical freighters. The 14 planes should be available for sale from next year. 

The C-130s will only be retired between 2023 and 2025, but the Defense Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) already lists the model as part of its catalog. DESA is an organization of the Ministry of Defense, responsible for overseeing the sale of military equipment from the UK Armed Forces stockpile. Because they are surplus equipment, they are usually cheaper alternatives. 

The Super Hercules are all operated by 14 Squadron from Brize Norton Air Base, home to the RAF's largest freighters. There are 13 Hercules C.4 (C-130J-30) and a smaller Hercules C.5 (C-130J).

Acquired by 25 countries, the Super Hercules is the newest and most repowered version of the legendary C-130 Hercules, even more popular. The model was renowned for its reliability, robustness and ability to operate on dirt tracks and improvised locations. 

The UK's presence around the world has made the C-130J fleet accumulate flight hours faster than anticipated when purchased. The loss of the Super Hercules will be a blow to England's air mobility strength, as there are 14 planes capable of carrying almost 20 tonnes.

The impact, however, should be mitigated by the presence of the Airbus A400 Atlas, which despite being problematic, has greater performance and payload capacity than the Super Hercules: while the C-130J-30 carries 19,9 tons, the A400 can transport 37 tons. Even so, the European model is being implemented in service.  

A Marshall Aerospace was named by DESA as the “leading retail partner” for the sale of C-130s. The company must provide entry into service, maintenance and capacity upgrades when necessary. 

With information Air Force Technology