MARIETTA, Ga., June 7 (UPI) -- Defense company Lockheed Martin has delivered its first Super Hercules aircraft to Canadian defense authorities to support ongoing heavy lift requirements.
U.S. company Lockheed Martin is under contract to deliver 17 of its C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The contract is part of a Canadian effort to upgrade its heavy lift aircraft capabilities as its current fleet of C-130 continues to age.
The C-130J four-engine turboprop variant is Lockheed Martin's next generation of its widely deployed Hercules aircraft with new technologies and other improved capabilities. The aircraft is referred to as CC-130J in Canada.
Canadian Department of National Defense officials at the Canadian Forces Base Trenton recently announced their formal acceptance of the first CC-130J.
"The C-130J Super Hercules is an operationally proven platform and the ideal aircraft to replace Canada's existing C-130 fleet," Tony Frese, Lockheed Martin C-130J program director, said in a statement.
The remaining 16 aircraft are expected to be delivered before 2013.
