New Zealand Air Force Retires C-130H Hercules Transport Fleet
The Royal New Zealand Air Force has retired its fleet of five C-130H Hercules military transport aircraft after six decades of service.
Part of the ceremony involved the planes’ flypast over Northland, which will be followed by another transit over the South Island next week.
Four of the platforms will be sent to RNZAF Base Woodbourne in Blenheim after decommissioning, while one will be housed at the Air Force Museum at Wigram.
C-130H Over 60 Years
During their employment, the C-130Hs have completed over 155,000 accident-free flying hours and about 100,000 landings internationally.
The first three Hercules systems, originally delivered in the C-130 standard variant, were assigned to the No. 40 Squadron at RNZAF Base Auckland in 1965, with one of their initial missions involving support tasks for the New Zealand Army and allies during the Vietnam War.
Due to their performance, Wellington purchased two more Hercules aircraft four years later. Since then, the planes have received multiple modifications, including a life extension overhaul in 2005, which led to their redesignation as the C-130H.
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Among their notable deployments were short-notice evacuation tasks in the Middle East, humanitarian missions across the Indo-Pacific, and allied transport assistance during the Cold War.
In 2001, the fleet brought the 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment to Afghanistan as part of a 20-year military support mission for the Central Asian government against insurgents.
The aircraft also assisted in moving international military aid packages for Ukraine in its continuing defense against Russia’s invasion.
In 2020, the New Zealand Ministry of Defence selected the new C-130J-30 Super Hercules in preparation for the C-130H’s retirement.