In September 2025, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) celebrated a historic achievement: its C-130J Super Hercules fleet, operated by No. 37 Squadron from Richmond Air Base (New South Wales), surpassed 170,000 accumulated flight hours. This milestone reflects more than two decades of uninterrupted service in national and international operations, cementing the Hercules as an essential pillar of Australia’s tactical airlift capability.
Since its introduction in 1999, the C-130J has demonstrated exceptional versatility, capable of operating from unprepared runways and in adverse conditions. Its missions have included international combat and logistical support operations, such as deployments in the Middle East under Operations Slipper, Okra, and Highroad, as well as humanitarian aid and disaster response missions, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Queensland floods, Cyclone Yasi, the 2019–2020 bushfires, and the 2022 volcanic eruption in Tonga.
It is important to note that the RAAF’s C-130J fleet will remain in service until the 2030s, when it will be replaced by a new generation of Hercules under Project AIR 7404. In the meantime, it continues to serve as the backbone of Australian tactical airlift, with a combined total of 870,000 flight hours accumulated by No. 36 and 37 Squadrons across all C-130 variants.
The flight that marked the 170,000th hour was a resupply mission to Port Moresby in support of Exercise Olgeta Warrior, a typical C-130J profile mission involving cargo and personnel transport in demanding regional environments. Flight Lieutenant David Campbell, a pilot with No. 37 Squadron, highlighted that this achievement was made possible by the combined efforts of maintenance, logistics, and operations personnel, whose behind-the-scenes work multiplies the value of every recorded flight hour.
Finally, Wing Commander Dianne Bell, Commander of No. 37 Squadron, emphasized that these milestones allow reflection on “what the C-130 has safely delivered over decades, both in Australia and abroad, and what it must be prepared to face in the future.”
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