The Bangladesh Air Force received the second C-130J 99-5482/S3-AGF on Tuesday with Bangladeshi pilots and crew members from the United Kingdom nearly two months after the actual delivery date. This being the second of five on order from the RAF work as ever done by Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group. The BAF assistant chief of air staff (operations) Air Vice Marshal M Abul Bashar in the reception ceremony at the Bangabandhu Air Base in the capital that the actual delivery was scheduled in March but it delayed due to the COVID19 pandemic and the British manufacturer had said delivery would be delayed further as it would be flown by foreign pilots.
Bangladesh has earlier signed contracts with the UK Ministry of Defence to procure a total of five Ex-Royal Air Force short-bodied C-130J Super Hercules (designated by RAF as Hercules C.Mk 5) aircraft to enhance its current airlift capability. Marshall is carrying out comprehensive depth maintenance and important modifications on all the aircraft including capability enhancements such as MEDEVAC, avionic upgrades and the provision of a Passenger Transport Configuration. The first C-130J was delivered on August 25, 2019. The military transport aircraft was a part of Bangladesh Air Force’s procurement and maintenance agreement with Royal Air Force and Marshal Aerospace and Defence Group of UK.
The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems. The Hercules family has the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. During more than 60 years of service, the family has participated in military, civilian, and humanitarian aid operations. The Hercules has outlived several planned successor designs, most notably the Advanced Medium STOL Transport contestants. 400 C-130J aircraft have been delivered to 17 nations.
The C-130J is the newest version of the Hercules and the only model still in production. Externally similar to the classic Hercules in general appearance, the J-model features considerably updated technology. These differences include new Rolls-Royce AE 2100 D3 turboprop engines with Dowty R391 composite scimitar propellers, digital avionics (including head-up displays (HUDs) for each pilot), and reduced crew requirements. These changes have improved performance over its C-130E/H predecessors, such as 40% greater range, 21% higher maximum speed, and 41% shorter takeoff distance. The J-model is available in a standard-length or stretched -30 variant.
