A long-awaited programme to refurbish the South African Air Force C-130 Hercules fleet has begun with the first of three aircraft earmarked for overhaul now in the UK. SAAF C-130BZ Hercules 409 departed Air Force Base Waterkloof on 8 August for its ferry flight to Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge where the maintenance and upgrade work will be carried out. The upgrades, to be paid for by R1bn in funds specifically set aside for the purpose, are urgently required to keep the SAAF’s fleet of C-130s airworthy and fit for purpose.
Marshall Aviation will also service aircraft numbers 405 and 406 once work on 409 is complete.
The SAAF has six serviceable C-130 aircraft out of an original fleet of nine. Two aircraft were written off after accidents while a third was stripped for spares. Each upgrade will take roughly 18 months.
The decision to use Marshall Aerospace was due to a lack of capacity at Denel which only has a single Hercules servicing bay. Denel plans to build a second servicing bay.
