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Indonesian Air Force receives first C-130J Super Hercules
United States defense giant Lockheed Martin handed over one C-130J-30 Super Hercules heavy transport aircraft to the Indonesian Air Force during a ceremony in Marietta, Georgia, the United States, on Tuesday.
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U
nited States defense giant Lockheed Martin handed over one C-130J-30 Super Hercules heavy transport aircraft to the Indonesian Air Force during a ceremony in Marietta, Georgia, the US, on Tuesday.
The Indonesian Air Force will receive a total of five Super Hercules tactical airlifters, Lockheed said in a press release on Tuesday.
"Indonesian Air Force crews have long trusted the C-130 to support the most challenging of missions facing Indonesia and other nations in the Pacific," Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of Air Mobility & Maritime Missions programs at Lockheed Martin was quoted as saying in the press release.
"This new era of Super Hercules operations supports Indonesia in achieving mission success with a highly tailored airlift fleet that ensures [Indonesian Air Force] crews can support any task – anywhere, anytime – with more power, strength and capability for decades to come."
Lockheed said the C-130J-30s offered increased cargo capacity, speed, range, power, performance and lower operating costs over its legacy C-130s to support the Indonesian Air Force's wide range of mission requirements for decades to come.
These new C-130J-30s expand the Indonesian Air Force’s ability to partner on missions and training opportunities with allies and regional forces that also operate Super Hercules, the company added.
The C-130J Super Hercules is currently serving 26 operators in 22 countries. To date, more than 520 C-130Js have been delivered and the aircraft has the ability to support 18 different mission requirements.
Indonesia has operated C-130s since the 1960s, using its Hercules fleet for critical national and regional missions such as delivering humanitarian aid and disaster relief, as well as providing military and peacekeeping support around the Pacific Rim.
The Super Hercules is the latest iteration of the venerable transport Hercules, also known by its nickname Herky, which first flew in 1954 and was first operational in 1956, making it one of the oldest aircraft models still in production. It is the oldest military aircraft still in production.
Currently, the Indonesian Air Force operates various types of older C-130 Hercules transport, mainly the B model, which was acquired in the 1960s and 1970s, and the H model which was procured in the 1980s. A number of H model aircraft were also donated by and bought from the Royal Australian Air Force in 2012.
The Herky is currently deployed to the 31st Squadron at Halim Perdanukusma Air Force Base in East Jakarta, the 32nd Squadron at Abdurrahman Saleh AFB in Malang, East Java, and the 33rd Squadron at Sultan Hasanuddin AFB in Maros, South Sulawesi.
Indonesian chief of staff Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo received the first Super Hercules, which is registered with tail number A-1339, the Indonesian Air Force says on its website.
Also attending the ceremony were Indonesian Ambassador to the US Rosan Roslani and Defense Ministry Secretary-General Marshal Donny Ermawan.
Indonesia’s first Super Hercules is scheduled to depart on Feb. 28 and is estimated to arrive at Halim Perdanakusuma AFB on March 6. Three Indonesian Air Force personnel will take part in the delivery flight.
Separately, Indonesian Air Force chief spokesman Air Cdre. Indan Gilang Buldansyah said on Tuesday that the remaining four airplanes would arrive in July, October and January 2024. (nvn)
