Algeria took delivery of its first C-130J “Super Hercules” transport plane, which arrived on January 23 from a factory in South Carolina. Algeria signed a contract with American company Lockheed Martin in 2018 for the delivery of four planes, with an option for four more.

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C-130J (Picture source: USAF)

The Algerian Air Force, which already has a few "Hercules" type troop transport planes, becomes, with this acquisition, the third African customer of the C-130J super Hercules after Egypt and Tunisia.

The new Super Hercules transports will join eight C-130H and six C-130H-30 transports in service with the 2ème Escadre de Transport Tactique et Logistique (2nd tactical transport and logistics squadron) operating from the Boufarik airbase.

The C-130J incorporates state-of-the-art technology, which reduces manpower requirements, lowers operating and support costs, and provides life-cycle cost savings over earlier C-130 models. Compared to older C-130s, the J model climbs faster and higher, flies farther at a higher cruise speed, and takes off and lands in a shorter distance.