India to Substitute Crashed C-130J With A New Aircraft

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will buy a new C-130J Super Hercules heavy-lift aircraft in addition to the existing order of 12 to replace the lost aircraft, Indian news agencies reported.

Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha said that the induction of C-130Js and heavy-lift Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs had “brought a paradigm shift in airlift capabilities”.

“The IAF initially had acquired six C-130Js and six more aircrafts were to arrive by 2016, as for the lost aircraft, which crashed during a tactical exercise in March, a replacement aircraft is being ordered,” Raha was quoted as saying by India Strategic magazine.

He also said, "While the C-17 had ‘enhanced our strategic footprint’, the C-130J has emerged as a significant enabler for Special Operations, besides being extensively deployed for varied tasks".

"We expect to induct more of these platforms as we gain more experience in their utilization and expand upon their roles," he added, without defining numbers and timelines.