In early April, initial test flights were conducted for the first of the five new C-130J-30 Super Hercules for the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The activity, carried out with the C-130J registration NZ7011, took place at the Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, USA. The maiden flight covered over 1,000 km in just over three hours, flying over the states of Georgia and Alabama.
It is estimated that all five aircraft will arrive in New Zealand by the end of this year. Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb, Chief of the Air Force, expressed optimism about the new additions, stating, “The iconic C-130H has been a fantastic aircraft for us for a long time, across a wide range of tasks and environments. The C-130J will offer everything its predecessor did, and more: greater range, speed, and capability.”
This transition is part of the replacement program for their C-130H Hercules, which served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force for nearly sixty years. The fleet of four-engine aircraft, with a long and distinguished history, began operating in 1965 with the arrival of the first unit, operating under Transport Squadron No. 40 based at Auckland Air Base.
In 2020, the New Zealand government confirmed plans to replace the C-130H with the new version produced by Lockheed Martin, opting for the more modern C-130J-30 Super Hercules with extended fuselage. The retirement schedule for the old C-130H Legacy fleet began in early 2023, with the last operational flight recorded for aircraft registration NZ7003, the first to be incorporated in 1965.
With the introduction of the C-130 Super Hercules, the Royal New Zealand Air Force will become a new user of the popular American four-engine aircraft. Currently, 22 countries (and 25 air forces) operate, are in the process of incorporating, or have orders in progress for the latest variant of the Hercules.
Cover image: Royal New Zealand Air Force
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