Second Hercules aircraft acquired for army arrives in Poland
The second of five US C-130H Hercules transport aircraft landed in Poland on Monday afternoon, Armaments Agency spokesman Krzysztof Platek wrote on social media on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Platek tweeted that "on October 17 this year, in the afternoon, the second of the five contracted C-130H Hercules aircraft with the tail number 85-0036 landed at Bydgoszcz airport. It will go to the 33rd Transport Aviation Base in Powidz".
The first plane landed in Poland in July of this year.
In April 2021, the Ministry of National Defence signed a contract with the US government for the delivery of 5 used Hercules C-130H aircraft. As part of the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) programme, the Polish side need only incur the partial cost of necessary refits and preparing the aircraft for the flight from the United States to Poland.
The value of the contract is USD 14.3 million, with the value of the five C-130H aircraft alone estimated by the American side at USD 60 million.
Deliveries of remaining three aircraft should be completed by mid-2024.
The C-130 Hercules transport aircraft have been produced by the American company Lockheed in subsequent versions since the mid-1950s. It is one of the longest-produced aircraft in aviation history. The Hercules transporter is used by the armed forces of over 50 countries.
