The C-130Js will be delivered to British company Marshall Aerospace, which will prepare them for service in the Turkish Air Force. This includes modifications to onboard equipment to meet Turkish requirements, as well as routine inspections.
Marshall Aerospace is a certified MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility for the C-130J Super Hercules family and has extensive experience servicing and upgrading these aircraft for various international users. The integration of the aircraft into Turkish service will be gradual.
The new C-130Js are expected either to replace ageing C-130B aircraft in the Turkish fleet or to expand its transport capabilities. Previously, five RAF surplus C-130Js were sold to Bangladesh, two to Bahrain, and one to the United States.
The remaining RAF C-130J aircraft, which had been preserved at Marshall Aerospace’s Cambridge site, have now been reserved by future buyers, although details of these deals have not yet been made public.
