Lockheed Martin has secured a US government contract related to training devices and upgrades for the Royal Australian Air Force’s C-130J tactical transport fleet.
The contract covers training systems including a cockpit systems trainer, as well as upgrades for the RAAF’s virtual simulation and virtual maintenance trainers, says Lockheed.
“The new training devices feature cutting-edge graphics, motion cueing and high-fidelity cockpit replication that mirror the operational C-130J,” says Lockheed.
“The devices are built for concurrency with the RAAF’s upcoming C-130J-30 acquisitions, enabling rapid fielding of new capabilities.”
The RAAF operates 12 C-130Js, and has orders for 20 additional examples, the first of which will arrive in 2028.
In late 2025, the RAAF announced that its existing C-130J fleet had been brought up to the latest Block 8.1 configuration, which improves reliability and readiness through both hardware and software upgrades.
Separately, the U.S. Department of War announced a $13.1 million contract with Boeing to upgrade the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures on C-17 strategic transports operated by Australia and Canada.
The project will replace legacy Block 10 hardware with the Block 30 configuration for the jets’ Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-24(V) systems.
The Block 30 suite provides superior detection against infrared-homing missiles while significantly reducing false alarms. Additionally, increased processing speeds enable the system to manage simultaneous threats digitally, while the updated laser transmitter is both more compact and more powerful than its predecessor.
The project is expected to be completed by 2030. Australia operates eight C-17s and Canada five.
