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Twelve former Royal Air Force (RAF) C-130J-30 transport aircraft being prepared for the Turkish Air Force (TurAF) are undergoing extensive maintenance, center wing box work, and configuration changes at Marshall Aerospace's Cambridge facility, according to an exclusive report by TurDef, with the first aircraft expected to arrive by the end of 2026.
According to TurDef, the aircraft are undergoing comprehensive maintenance and inspection before being delivered in a baseline configuration that will allow Türkiye to integrate its own mission systems.
Marshall is a Lockheed Martin-authorized Heavy Maintenance Center for the C-130J and the manufacturer's first approved Center of Excellence for C-130 center wing box replacements, having previously carried out similar structural work on RAF-operated aircraft.
TurDef reported deliveries are expected to take place over three to four years.
The C-130J-30 is the stretched-fuselage variant of the C-130J, with a fuselage roughly 4.6 meters longer than the baseline aircraft, increasing cargo volume and providing space for additional pallets, personnel or mission equipment.
TurDef reported the program includes non-destructive testing and detailed structural inspections for corrosion, fatigue damage and cracking, with repair or replacement of components as needed.
One of the most significant elements involves the center wing box, the primary load-bearing structure connecting the wings to the fuselage, whose remaining fatigue life TurDef described as a critical factor in an aircraft's long-term airworthiness.
According to TurDef's own reporting, some of the aircraft underwent center wing box replacement following their retirement from RAF service, while those still requiring the procedure will receive new center wing boxes as part of the Turkish program.
TurDef reported that because the condition of each aircraft's center wing box varies, a standard turnaround time cannot be established for every airframe, meaning the aircraft will enter Turkish service either with center wing boxes installed under the current program or with structures already replaced before retirement, with the work in both cases intended to provide the structural service life required for the aircraft's planned use with the TurAF.
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According to TurDef, RAF-specific mission equipment, cryptographic devices and other sovereign systems will be decommissioned and removed before delivery, though this does not mean the aircraft will be stripped of their core C-130J avionics.
Instead, they will be returned to a baseline configuration suitable for the later integration of Turkish equipment.
TurDef reported that Aselsan and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) are potential candidates to install and integrate systems selected by the TurAF, though no formal assignment has yet been disclosed, and that the eventual configuration could include indigenous communications, identification, mission-planning, electronic-support and self-protection systems, with the precise equipment package not yet announced.
TurDef reported the acquisition package also includes scheduled maintenance, spare parts, tooling, training and in-country support, with technical and logistics assistance continuing as the aircraft enter TurAF service, and the broader support program intended to help Türkiye develop an indigenous long-term maintenance and sustainment capability for its C-130J fleet.
The multi-year entry-into-service contract was awarded to Marshall Aerospace in October 2025 and covers entry into service and sustainment for all 12 aircraft, including scheduled maintenance, spares, tooling, in-country support, training and center wing box replacements, as well as work supporting development of an indigenous Turkish sustainment capability on the C-130J platform.
Marshall, working in partnership with the United Kingdom's Defense Equipment & Support (DE&S) Export & Sales division, supported the resale process as the Principal Retail Partner for the aircraft while conducting anti-deterioration maintenance and storage at its Cambridge facility.
A TurAF delegation led by Brig. Gen. Volkan Ersun Acar, director of the 2nd Air Maintenance Factory, and Lt. Col. Halis Can Polat, manager of the Depot Level Maintenance Factory, visited Marshall's Cambridge headquarters on March 25 to observe progress on the program, viewing one of the Turkish aircraft following removal of its center wing box, a procedure Marshall said takes months of intensive work to complete.
Marshall's Head of MRO Programs, Andrew Smith, said at the time: "We are grateful for this opportunity to show the progress being made on this major program. We look forward to working closely together with the TurAF and Turkish Ministry of Defense to deliver a modern, world-class tactical airlift fleet over the coming years."
Türkiye's Deputy Minister of National Defense Salih Ayhan led a senior Turkish Defense Ministry delegation on a separate visit to Marshall's Cambridge facility on June 24 to review program progress, viewing several of the 12 aircraft and receiving updates on entry-into-service and sustainment work.
Marshall CEO Bob Baxter said at the time: "It was a pleasure to host Deputy Minister Ayhan and representatives from the Turkish Ministry of Defense, and to demonstrate our progress in delivering a modern, versatile tactical airlift capability to the TurAF. We value the trust placed in Marshall through this program, which reflects the close industrial and defense ties between two long-standing NATO allies."
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