Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 17) — The Department of National Defense (DND) is set to acquire three brand new C-130J-30 Super Hercules for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) after issuing its Notice to Proceed on Tuesday.
They will be delivered in July 2026, October 2026, and January 2027, respectively.
The DND noted that the acquisition started in 2021 as part of the Second Horizon of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program.
The AFP has received the first of two C-130H aircraft it purchased through the U.S. government’s military financing program.
“The additional cargo space of the C-130J-30, coupled with the reliability of C-130 aircraft we have in our current fleet, will provide our Air Force with greater operational flexibility,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.
“These features will empower our PAF to meet the demands of the AFP’ s tactical missions more effectively,” he added.
The project was awarded to Lockheed Martin, an American aerospace, arms defense, information security, and technology corporation.
Andolong said the PAF currently operates a mixed fleet of C-130s, which is “vital for supporting Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and military operations.”
He added that the additional C-130J-30 to the inventory will be a significant step in achieving a credible defense image.
In 2021, a rescue and retrieval operation was conducted on the Air Force C-130 aircraft that crashed in Patikul, Sulu, leaving 52 dead, which is the country’s deadliest military air disaster in at least four decades.
READ: Military ends rescue and retrieval ops with 52 dead in C-130 plane crash in Sulu
