Jordan accepts pair of ex-USAF Hercules
Royal Jordanian Air Force C-130 Hercules being towed out at Muniz Air National Guard Base in Puerto Rico. (Photo: USAF/Master Sgt Thomas Ramirez)
A third C-130 will be transferred to the Royal Jordanian Air Force in January 2022 under the C-130 Ramp-to-Ramp programme.
The US embassy in Jordan announced on 9 December that two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft have been accepted by the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) under the global Ramp-to-Ramp (R2R) programme, with a third to follow in January 2022.
All three aircraft have received recent equipment updates and upgraded interoperable avionics before their integration into the RJAF fleet.
After they are delivered, the USAF Mobile Training Team will provide basic and advanced training of Jordanian aircrew and maintenance crews.
‘The transfer of these mission-ready aircraft comes as part of a US Congressional mandate to cap the size of the USAF C-130 fleet,’ the US embassy noted, adding that the C-130 R2R programme is the first USAF programme to transfer fully active and functional assets to ‘key security partners around the world’.
Eight C-130s have been transferred to date under R2R since the first aircraft in April 2021.
Jordan currently operates three C-130Es and four C-130Hs, so the arrival of the ex-USAF C-130 aircraft boosts the RJAF fixed-wing tactical airlift fleet by nearly 50%. It will also save RJAF approximately $30 million in equipment renovation costs, the US embassy calculated.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![How the UK’s New Medium Helicopter award strengthens AW149’s European prospects]()
How the UK’s New Medium Helicopter award strengthens AW149’s European prospects
The UK advanced its long-delayed New Medium Helicopter programme in March with a £1 billion order for 23 Leonardo AW149s. While the deal could provide a foundation for further UK and European export orders, funding pressures and previous delays continue to cloud the programme’s future.
-
![Canadian observer status reinforces GCAP’s strength in emerging ‘middle power’ bloc]()
Canadian observer status reinforces GCAP’s strength in emerging ‘middle power’ bloc
The significant setback seen by FCAS earlier this year has secured GCAP’s position as Europe’s future sixth-generation fighter, while Canada’s potential observer status could push the programme into the next stage.
-
![UK air focus: Drone spending trails European frontline states despite $10.46 billion valuation]()
UK air focus: Drone spending trails European frontline states despite $10.46 billion valuation
Despite the UK having the third-largest military UAV market in Europe, the country appears to be underinvesting in the capability relative to the size of its economy, particularly when compared with Baltic and eastern European states.
-
![Proteus: Forging the future of autonomous rotorcraft]()
Proteus: Forging the future of autonomous rotorcraft
As the home of British helicopters, Leonardo has worked with the UK Ministry of Defence for over a decade to advance technologies underpinning uncrewed rotorcraft. Today, in partnership with UK Defence Innovation and the Royal Navy, Leonardo is spearheading the next step in that journey: from remotely piloted technologies to fully autonomous systems.
-
![US Air Force to add new capabilities to its in-service and future T-7A fleet]()
US Air Force to add new capabilities to its in-service and future T-7A fleet
As the T-7A programme recovers from delays and rising costs, the USAF is signalling new opportunities in anti-jamming GPS, collision avoidance, advanced flight controls and pilot interface improvements.
-
![“Fifth-gen capability without the cost”: how autonomous strike can change the face of air warfare]()
“Fifth-gen capability without the cost”: how autonomous strike can change the face of air warfare
In Conversation… Armor Harris, Senior Vice President for Aircraft at Shield AI, talks to Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan about why cost-effective autonomous aircraft are a game-changer for air forces worldwide, and the key roles played by VTOL and AI as enabling technologies.
