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Turkey to receive first 2 C-130J aircraft in December under $730M UK deal

The aircraft are part of a 12-plane procurement deal from the United Kingdom as Ankara seeks to rapidly modernize its aging air fleet. 

A Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules taxis before take-off from RAF Fairford on March 18, 2026 in Fairford, England.
A Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules taxis before takeoff from RAF Fairford on March 18, 2026, in Fairford, England. — Leon Neal/Getty Images

ANKARA — Turkey will receive the first two of 12 C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft it is buying from the United Kingdom in December, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Thursday. 

“The agreement for the procurement of 12 C-130J aircraft from the United Kingdom has been signed between the two countries,” the ministry said in a written statement.

Two of the aircraft are expected to be delivered in December following maintenance work in the United Kingdom, with the remaining planes to arrive gradually, the ministry added. 

Six pilots and six technicians are undergoing training in the United States, while 29 maintenance personnel are being trained in the United Kingdom, according to the ministry.

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