Canada’s air force has received its first of 17 Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports, with the aircraft having arrived at its Trenton air base in Ontario on 4 June.
Delivered from Lockheed’s Marietta production site in Georgia, the stretched-fuselage aircraft is drawn from Ottawa’s $1.4 billion production contract for the type, signed in December 2007.
Canada should receive up to a further five of its new-generation Hercules this year, with the remainder to follow by late 2012, its Department of National Defence says. The fleet will be operated by the air force’s 8 Wing, which already flies legacy C-130E/Hs and four Boeing C-17 strategic transports.
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© Lockheed Martin (top), WO Carole Morissette/Canadian air force (above) |
“The successful procurement of the CC-130J demonstrates the government's commitment to provide the Canadian Forces with cost-effective tactical airlift capability,” says Rona Ambrose, minister of public works and government services.
The DND says its first C-130J was delivered six months ahead of schedule, and that the programme is also running under budget.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
