Newsletters
Türkiye plans to receive the first two of 12 C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft it is buying from Britain in December, the National Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
The remaining aircraft are set to arrive gradually after maintenance in the United Kingdom, while Turkish pilots, technicians, and maintenance crews train in the U.S. and Britain, the ministry said.
The second-hand ex-Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft will strengthen the Turkish Air Force's tactical airlift fleet.
Britain has valued the sale at more than £550 million ($727 million) for U.K. industry and Marshall Aerospace.
Asked about the status of the deal after its weekly press briefing in Kayseri, the ministry said, "In line with the set timeline, the aircraft are intended to be gradually brought to our country after the maintenance activities ongoing in the United Kingdom. In this context, the first two aircraft are planned to be received in December."
"Meanwhile, training activities for our personnel are being carried out simultaneously. The training of 6 pilots and 6 technicians in the U.S. and of 29 maintenance personnel in the United Kingdom continues as planned in line with the set timeline," the ministry said.
1 min read
Negotiations for the procurement began in 2024, when the Turkish Defense Ministry said it was in talks to procure second-hand C-130J aircraft offered for sale by the United Kingdom.
Although additional A400M transport aircraft procurement from Airbus was also rumored at the time, in August 2024 Türkiye had made significant progress on C-130J procurement rather than A400M, reaching the final stage of negotiations.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense said in October 2025 that the 12 C-130J aircraft had been delivered to the relevant company for maintenance and modernization.
Marshall Aerospace has recently signed a multi-year support contract with the Turkish Defense Ministry covering entry-into-service support, maintenance, spares, tooling, and training.
The contract is intended to help Türkiye build its own sustainment capability for the aircraft.
Center wing box replacements are to be completed on all 12 aircraft before they enter service.
Ankara is also acquiring 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets from Britain under a separate deal.
The C-130J deliveries are set to continue gradually after December.
The new aircraft will reduce the operational burden on Türkiye's existing Airbus A400M fleet while providing enhanced tactical air supply, personnel transport, and medical evacuation capabilities.
Adding C-130J variants is a logical progression, with existing maintenance and logistics infrastructure supporting smooth integration. The C-130J-30 variant features an extended fuselage compared with the standard C-130J, enabling it to carry two additional payload pallets in the cargo compartment.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
