Page 87 - Australian Defence Magazine Feb-Mar 2023

FEBRUARY-MARCH 2023 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
AIRPOWER C-130J-30 HERCULES 87
geting pods (albeit without target marking capability) from the RAAF’s retired F/A-18A/B Hornet, and underwing tanks to increase range or endurance.
The Planned Withdrawal Date (PWD) for the existing fleet is 2030 and Defence says it will continue to “safely and effectively” manage the fleet up until that date. “The current C-130J fleet will be reaching structural life lim- its [by 2030] due to the fatigue of the centre wing as its planned withdrawal date approaches,” a Defence spokes- person told ADM. “After the 8.1 software upgrade, any [further] upgrades will be carefully considered for capabil- ity benefits and value for money.”
Defence says the disposal plans for the existing fleet have not yet been confirmed.
MEDIUM AIR MOBILITY AIRCRAFT PROGRAM
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) statement on 2 November last year revealed that Wash- ington has approved the sale of 24 C-130J-30s, plus spares which includes 24 Rolls Royce AE-2100D engines and sup- port, for a not to exceed value of $US6.35 billion ($9.23 billion). The sale will be enacted under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mechanism.
However, the DSCA release did not specify a timeline for the acquisition and, in response to ADM’s detailed
ABOVE: The RAAF has flown several variants of the C-130 Hercules since December 1958
NIGEL PITTAWAY