Lockheed Martin pushes C-130J for Sweden

An artist's impression of the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules in Swedish markings. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed Martin is pushing its C-130J Hercules airlifter for Sweden, announcing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with national industry on 6 February.

With the Swedish Air Force (SwAF) scoping out a replacement for its ageing C-130H Hercules fleet, Lockheed Martin has launched its C-130J-30 offering with an MOU signed with MilDef, a Stockholm-based provider of ‘tactical IT solutions'.

“Lockheed Martin and MilDef announced a memorandum of understanding today to strengthen aerospace collaboration through Lockheed Martin's C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlifter offering for the Swedish Air Force. Through this partnership, the two organisations will identify partnership opportunities where MilDef solutions and expertise can be integrated into Lockheed Martin's global aerospace and defence ecosystem,” the manufacturer said.

The SwAF operates six C-130Hs (two of an original eight were mothballed in 2015), which are the oldest still flying in Europe, having been received from 1965. In 2017 the service decided against procuring a new transport aircraft type at that time, opting instead to upgrade the C-130Hs.

This mid-life upgrade (MLU) covered the aircraft's avionics and some other systems, but did not involve major structural work such as replacing the centre wing box. It was launched in 2020 and will run through to later in 2024 with the aim of maintaining the C-130Hs in an operational condition through to the early 2030s.

For more information on Sweden's C-130H replacement effort, please seeFrance, Germany, Sweden launch future transport aircraftandAirbus to lead FASETT future mid-sized airlifter effort for EU