DefenseTürkiye acquires 12 RAF C-130J aircraft that have been decommissioned since 2023
Turkey has finalized an agreement to acquire 12 ex-Royal Air Force C-130J-30 tactical transports, with the aircraft currently stored at Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge. The contract includes full maintenance and modernization before delivery, with work expected to span four years.
The fleet was withdrawn from RAF service in June 2023 and transferred to a private company before the Turkish deal. Marshall Aerospace values the contract for upgrades and overhaul at more than £200 million ($268 million).
The Turkish Air Force currently operates 18 C-130B/E aircraft, with service lives ranging from 51 to 66 years. The newer C-130J models will replace these older airframes, offering updated avionics and more efficient propulsion with Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 engines.
RAF C-130Js entered service in 1999 and supported missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other theaters until retirement. The UK retains three C-130J aircraft still available for sale.
The C-130J is widely used for troop and cargo transport, humanitarian supply delivery, aerial refueling, and support of special operations. Turkey has already received the aircraft for the planned modernization and upgrade process.
The completion of this transfer concludes the RAF’s Hercules program. Turkey’s acquisition is expected to bolster its tactical airlift capacity as its legacy Hercules fleet is phased out.
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