C-130 News: Hercules' flying life to be extended - Brownlee

[casey]

The flying life of the RNZAF's fleet of C130 Hercules planes is expected to be extended until 2022, Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has revealed.

The aircraft, which are known as the Air Force's work horses, mark five decades of service this year.

Over the last 10 years the Government has spent more than $250 million upgrading the planes with the aim of extending their flying life until 2020.

But Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says the Hercules upgrade has brought them an extra couple of years.

"Although they are fifty, they have been substantially refurbished, arguably fly better than they have ever done and can run through to about 2022".

Used extensively in the Pacific for humanitarian reasons and for the transportation of manpower and aid in times of disaster, the Hercules are invaluable for landing on the Pacific's runways, which are often short and in poor condition.

Mr Brownlee says any replacement would need to be able to "have similar utility".

The Government is currently pricing out the C-17 Globemaster, which is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Other options include the A400 military transporter although appetite for this is likely to have waned following a test flight crash in Spain yesterday that prompted Britain and Germany to ground their A400 troop and cargo carriers.

But whatever the replacements are it won't be cheap and the budget is being kept under wraps.

"It would have been a very expensive exercise back in 1965 when the commitment to the Hercules was made but we got fifty years out of them and any procurement has to be seen in that sort of light," says Mr Brownlee.

" I wouldn't like to speculate on the price at the moment, I think when you are in commercial negotiations the last thing you should do is open your wallet to show how much is in it".

View original article: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/hercules-flying-life-extended-brownlee-6310564

 

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