The US military transport aircraft C-130H Hercules

In order to strengthen the air force, the Polish Ministry of Defense announced that the country’s air force will receive five US Lockheed C-130H Hercules military transport aircraft and accompanying technical equipment.

An agreement between the US and Polish governments for the supply of five C-130H aircraft was signed on April 12, 2021.

This deal is delivered through a special partnership program. All five aircraft will be delivered to Poland this month.

The contract is worth $ 60 million, but Poland will pay only $ 14.3 million to the US side. With this money, it will not be enough for the Pentagon to maintain the annual maintenance, maintenance, repair, and replenishment of equipment, so the US military has considered the possibility of early handover to Poland. to reduce costs.

Currently, all five of these aircraft have been stored at the facilities of preservation group No. 309, on the payroll of the US Air Force located at Davis Montana Air Base in Arizona.

The US military transport aircraft C-130H Hercules

The C-130H aircraft that the United States intended to deliver to Poland were produced in 1985 and the US Air Force closed in 2017.

Poland chose 5 out of 20 proposed. The first Hercules will arrive in Poland in late 2021 and the last will be delivered in 2024.

C-130 Hercules aircraft has 4 propeller engines, wingspan of 40 m, length more than 29 m, height of nearly 12 m, can fly in all weather conditions, maximum flight speed is 370 km /H.

The Polish Air Force uses the aircraft, for missions such as military transport, paratroop deployment, reconnaissance, maritime patrol, aerial refueling and combat.

The C-130H Hercules aircraft will replace four C-130E aircraft operating in the Polish air force since the 1970s.