Australia Announces Decision to Buy 20 C-130 Hercules Aircraft for A$9.8B

Australia’s defence ministry will purchase 20 new C-130J Hercules transport planes for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for A$9.8 billion ($6.6 billion).

The new acquisitions will replace and expand upon the 12 Hercules aircraft currently operated by Air Force with delivery of the first aircraft expected from late 2027.

The Australian Defence Force relies on the C-130J Hercules aircraft for the deployment of personnel, equipment and humanitarian supplies. This aircraft is regularly used in search and rescue missions, disaster relief and medical evacuation.

The C-130J Hercules are made by Lockheed Martin and are being purchased from the United States. The aircraft will continue to be operated by No. 37 Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond in NSW.

Canberra first signalled its intention to both expand and replace its C-130J fleet on November 1, 2022. The U.S. government cleared the possible sale of 24 C-130Js for $6.35 billion under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Process just two days later.