Polish Air Force acquired five C-130Hs

On 13 April 2021, The Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak signed a government-to-government contract with the US for the delivery of five Lockheed C-130H Hercules transport aircraft to the Sily Powietrzne RP (Polish Air Force). This contract is part of the US Excess Defense Articles grant programme.

In September 2019, the Polish Ministry of Defence issued a letter of request to the US for acquiring five C-130H transport aircraft.

The five aircraft involved were produced in 1985 and decommissioned in 2017. They are currently stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Group (AMARG) facility in Tucson (AZ). At AMARG, the aircraft will be partially retrofitted with new equipment, made airworthy and fly over to Poland.

The first C-130H is expected to arrive in 2021 and the final delivery is scheduled for mid-2024. After arrival in Poland, they will be maintained in the WZL 2 facility at Bydgoszcz. Also additional equipment will be installed. From Bydgoszcz the "new" aircraft will go to Powidz air base, where they will be added to 33.BLTr. This transport squadron is using five ageing C-130Es which are fifteen years older than the C-130Hs Poland is acquiring now.

Photo via Stars and Stripes