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Marshall Aerospace announced on Monday that it secured a major multi-year support contract with the Turkish Ministry of National Defense to sustain Türkiye's fleet of 12 newly acquired Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.
The agreement covers entry into service and sustainment for all 12 aircraft operated by the Turkish Air Force.
Services include scheduled maintenance, spares, tooling, and training to enable Türkiye to build indigenous capability on the C-130J platform.
The extended-fuselage C-130J aircraft were retired from British Royal Air Force (RAF) inventory and delivered to Marshall's facility in Cambridge, U.K., for maintenance and modernization work before phased transfer to the Turkish Air Force.
"We are delighted to have signed this contract to keep Türkiye's new modern, world-class tactical airlift fleet mission-ready and mission-capable," said Bob Baxter, CEO of Marshall Aerospace.
"Today's announcement highlights our place in the global C-130 community as a leading provider of through-life fleet support," he noted.
Marshall will complete center wing box replacements on each of the 12 airframes prior to the aircraft entering service with the Turkish Air Force (TurAF).
In partnership with U.K. Defense Equipment & Support Export & Sales, Marshall serves as Principal Retail Partner during the aircraft resale process.
The company conducted ongoing anti-deterioration maintenance and storage at its Cambridge facility.
Including the Turkish Air Force, Marshall Aerospace has now supported acquisition and entry into service for eight operators of legacy C-130 and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, with previous operators including the Austrian Air Force, the Bangladesh Air Force, and the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense announced on Thursday (Oct. 16) that maintenance procedures have begun for the 12 C-130J aircraft.
The extended-fuselage aircraft will be gradually incorporated into the Turkish Air Force inventory following completion of maintenance and modernization in the United Kingdom.
Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk said maintenance and upkeep of the C-130J aircraft will be carried out with domestic and national resources following type training once the aircraft enters Turkish Air Force service.
"The aircraft will be gradually incorporated into our Air Force inventory following the completion of maintenance and modernization in the United Kingdom under the signed contract," Akturk said during a weekly press briefing at the ministry.
The new aircraft will help reduce operational burden on Türkiye's existing Airbus A400M fleet while providing enhanced tactical air supply, personnel transport and medical evacuation capabilities.
The Turkish Air Force currently operates a fleet of C-130 aircraft, including C-130B and C-130E variants.
The addition of C-130J variants represents a logical progression with existing maintenance and logistics infrastructure facilitating smooth integration.
The Turkish Air Force currently operates approximately 10 A400M aircraft, nearly 40 CN-235 CASA aircraft, and about 20 C-130 aircraft.
The C-130J acquisition will enhance the force's power projection capability in both quantity and quality.
The C-130J-30 variant features an extended fuselage compared to the standard C-130J, enabling it to carry two additional pallets of payload in the cargo compartment.
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