Egypt Becomes 23rd Country To Procure C-130J Super Hercules Military Transport Aircraft
The Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF) ordered two C-130J-30 tactical air transport aircraft from US aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin through Washington’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, becoming the 23rd country to join the Super Hercules operational community worldwide. The acquisition, which represents a significant expansion of the country’s air transport capabilities in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, was first announced during the Egyptian International Aviation Exhibition held at Alamein Airport between 3-5 September.
The US State Department first approved a $2.2 billion FMS dossier for the sale of a dozen C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft and related equipment to the Egyptian government in January 2022, which was passed by the US Congress about two months later. Although there were no legal obstacles to a final agreement at that time, the Cairo authorities are now carrying out the purchase and have procured only two of the twelve aircraft. It is unknown what prompted them to take this decision, but there is still the possibility of a future purchase of the remaining ten aircraft.
A statement issued by the US Defence Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) at the time about the original approval read as follows:
“The proposed sale will improve Egypt’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing airlift support for its forces by moving supplies, equipment, and people, thus strengthening its capacity in the security and humanitarian arena. This airlift capability would assist with border security, the interdiction of known terrorist elements, rapid reaction to internal security threats, and humanitarian aid. Egypt also intends to utilize these aircraft for maritime patrol missions and search and rescue missions in the region. Egypt, which already operates a mix of legacy C-130s, will have no difficulty absorbing these aircraft and services into its armed forces.”
The Egyptian Air Force operates a fleet of over 20 older C-130H/H-30 Hercules aircraft purchased between 1976 and 1990. These aircraft are operated by the 4th and 16th squadrons of the 516th transport brigade based at Cairo International Air Base and Cairo West Air Base. In addition to the C-130s, the EAF has two dozen Airbus C295s, two second-hand Ilyushin Il-76s [purchased from Jordan], several DHC-5D Buffalo, Boeing 707, and Beechcraft 1900C-1 transport aircraft.
Lockheed Martin Air Mobility & Maritime Missions Vice President and General Manager Rod McLean said Egypt is a leading C-130 operator, adding: “Welcoming Egypt to the C-130J Super Hercules global fleet is an honor that truly represents the longstanding partnership between our two nations and with Lockheed Martin. With these new C-130J-30s, the Egyptian Air Force’s tactical airlift presence will deliver unmatched capabilities and aligned force amplification to serve Egypt, North Africa and the world.”
According to Lockheed Martin, The C-130J Super Hercules is the proven standard in tactical airlift, providing a unique mix of versatility and performance to complete any mission, anytime, anywhere. To date, 26 operators in 22 nations are part of the C-130J global fleet. The company has delivered more than 545 C-130J Super Hercules in 18 mission variants, and this global fleet has exceeded more than 3 million flight hours.
Super Hercules discriminators include proven operational readiness with excellent ease of transition, increased reliability, superior tactical airlift, combat airdrop capabilities, certification by more than 20 airworthiness authorities, and enhanced survivability. The C-130J also delivers unmatched interoperability with NATO and partner nations, robust industrial partnerships, and verified low life-cycle costs with significant fuel savings, resulting in a reduced carbon footprint compared to other medium-sized jet airlifters.