Australia said on Monday that it would purchase 20 additional C-130 Hercules from the United States for 9.8 billion Australian dollars ($6.6 billion), more than doubling the size of the second-largest heavy transport aircraft in the Australian air force’s fleet.
The announcement comes after a larger sale of 24 of the propeller-driven aircraft made by Lockheed Martin was approved by the US Congress last year.
20 US C-130 Hercules aircraft
Talisman Sabre, a biannual military exercise between the US and Australia involving 13 countries and over 30,000 soldiers, is now taking place near the Australian coast.
The Royal Australian Air Force’s existing fleet of 12 Hercules aircraft will be replaced by the first four-engine Hercules aircraft when it is delivered in 2027. The fleet will practically quadruple as a result of the purchase, increasing our ability to deploy them on numerous operations at once.
- Australia to buy 20 US C-130 Hercules for $9.8 billion.
- Australian Air Force to acquire first four-engine Hercules aircraft in 2027.
- Sydney commissions Canberra, promoting bilateral military engagement with Australia.
Additionally, eight Boeing C-17A Globemaster heavy transport jets are flown by the Australian Air Force. Before the U.S., the agreement was confirmed.
The third trip to Asia in less than two months by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin highlights American attempts to offset expanding Chinese influence in the area.
Sydney saw the commissioning of the USS Canberra, signaling a greater bilateral military engagement with Australia. The first Canberra was a U.S. cruiser built in 1943 and named for the 1942 Japanese torpedoing of the Australian cruiser HMAS Canberra.
Because of recent security pacts struck with China, the Solomon Islands continue to be a security issue for the United States and its allies.
