Australia Gets U.S. Nod to Buy C-130J-30 Aircraft

The U.S. State Department has approved Australia’s request to acquire two dozen C-130J-30 transport aircraft for over $6 billion.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

Earlier this week, Australia’s defense ministry announced plans to replace the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) fleet of old 12 C-130J Hercules aircraft with new planes under the Project AIR 7404 Phase 1 medium air mobility replacement. The older Hercules planes have been in service with the RAAF since 1999.

The ministry said it approached a number of aircraft manufacturers and received information on all available medium air mobility options. Contenders included Airbus A400M, Embraer C-390, and the Kawasaki C-2 transports.

Along with 24 Lockheed Martin-built aircraft, Australia wants to buy 4 each Rolls Royce AE-2100D turboprop engines installed; 24 Rolls Royce AE-2100D turboprop engines with Quick Engine Change Assembly (QECA) and propellers installed (spares); 60 Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) (EGI) security devices, airborne (48 installed, 12 spares); 32 AN/ALQ-251 Radio Frequency Countermeasure (RFCM) systems; 27 Guardian Laser Transmitter Assemblies (GLTA) for Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) systems (24 installed, 3 spares); 16 AN/AAQ 24(V)N LAIRCM System Processor Replacements (LSPR) (12 installed, 4 spares); and 24 Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) (installed), as per a DSCA release issued today.

Also included are AN/AAQ 24(V)N LAIRCM Infrared Missile Warning Sensors (MWS), Control Interface Unit Replacements (CIRU), and classified memory card User Data Modules (UDM); KYV-5M communication security modules; AN/ARC-190 High Frequency (HF) radios; AN/ARC-210 radios; AN/ARN-153 tactical airborne navigation (TACAN) systems; AN/ARN-147 receivers; AN/ARN-149(V) automatic direction finders; AN/APX-119 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponders; AN/AAR 47 missile warning systems; AN/APN-241 Low-Power Color Radars (LPCR); AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing Systems (CMDS); AN/ALR-56 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR); AN/PYQ-10 Simple Key Loaders; MX-20HD electro optical/infrared targeting systems; AN/KIV-77 IFF cryptographic appliques; Advanced Digital Antenna Production (ADAP) system components; and related support and equipment.

The estimated total cost is $6.35 billion.