The Pakistan Air Force is all set to receive ex-Belgian Air Component C-130H tactical transport aircraft. Ex-Belgian Air Force C-130H Serial No. 382-4483, Registration CH-12 was photographed in Pakistan Air Force colors at a European airport. It has been known since last year that the Pakistan Air Force is looking for 7-8 additional C-130s to shore up its tactical transport fleet of 16 aircraft.
The deal was initiated for Belgian C-130s in 2019 and completed in 2021. It is currently unclear how many of the BAF’s 13 C-130Hs does Pakistan intend to procure, although the BAF decommissioned all its C-130s in 2021 (suggesting all units with appropriate flyable hours might be procured, but the number could be less too), and the requirement of 7-8 aircraft suggests C-130s from another European country might also be purchased.
C-130 has a 42,000 pound payload, a 3,800 km range. It can carry 92 passengers or 62 airborne troops for paratrooper insertion. It can also carry artillery or armored vehicles to far-away airports. The Pakistan Air Force has been operating the American-made Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules for more than half a century, since 1962 with a long, proud and illustrious history. The C-130 has been the workhorse and mainstay of Pakistan’s military airlift capability. The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex has vast C-130 maintenance and engine overhaul infrastructure and expertise. C-130 acted as a bomber during the war of 1965 and shot down several Indian aircraft with anti-air guns fitted on the ramp. C-130s were the first aircraft by Pakistan to conduct ISTAR missions against terrorist targets in the war on terror.
Picture Credits: Wakka Plane Photography
#WhiskeyPapa
#TeamPakistanStrategicForum
