Hercules for Philippines to undergo depot maintenance in Texas

8th June 2021 - 14:37 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

RSS

The PAF received its first refurbished C-130H in January 2021. (Photo: PNA)

US company to support C-130 sales to Philippines under the Excess Defense Articles programme.

Mississippi-based Tyonek Services Overhaul Facility has obtained a sole-source IDIQ FMS contract worth up to $24.99 million from the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, to provide C-130H Hercules depot maintenance for the Philippines Air Force (PAF) under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) programme.

The estimated value of the first order is $4.7 million, the DoD noted on 4 June.

Work will be performed in Waco, Texas, and is expected to be completed by December 2022.

Shephard Defence Insight notes that the PAF operates a mixed fleet of C-130E/Hs with an estimated retirement date of 2036 for the oldest airframes.

The PAF received its first refurbished C-130H in January 2021 via the EDA programme with another on order.

Shephard reported that the price tag of the two C-130Hs was around PHP2.5 billion ($52.8 million), with the Philippines contributing PHP1.6 billion and the US about PHP900 million.

The Hercules will be operated by the PAF’s 220th Airlift Wing. It is unclear when the second C-130H will arrive from the US.