TAIWAN IS CLOSE TO concluding a deal, to purchase the last four available, unsold Lockheed Martin C-130H-30 Hercules transport aircraft.
The Republic of China Air Force had originally planned to order an additional four aircraft as part of its 1996 budget.
The service already operates 17 early-build C-130Hs and has options on further aircraft from a previous order.
The Taiwnese air force is now trying to advance funding from next year's budget to secure the transports from Lockheed.
The four stretched C-130H-30s are the last aircraft built at Lockheed Martin's Marietta plant before production switched to the new C-130J model.
Source: Flight International
