Canada's first of 17 next-generation C-130J tactical transports has emerged from the paintshop at Lockheed Martin's Marietta manufacturing site in Georgia.
Ottawa signed a $1.4 billion deal in January 2008 for its new fleet of C-130Js, all of which will be produced in the stretched-fuselage -30 configuration.
The type will be used to replace part of the Canadian armed forces' inventory of 22 legacy C-130E/Hs. Five KC-130H tankers are also in operational use, according to Flightglobal's MiliCAS database.
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"Canada's new fleet of C-130Js will fly farther, faster, with more payload and much higher reliability [than its current Hercules]", says Lockheed. Deliveries of the new aircraft will start later this year, and be completed during 2012, it adds.
The introduction of the new C-130J fleet follows Canada's earlier acquisition of four C-17 strategic transports from Boeing for around $870 million. Delivered in 2007 and 2008, the larger type is being used to support disaster relief efforts launched following the major earthquake that hit the Caribbean island of Haiti.