On Sunday, February 8, 2026, Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported that the Republic of China Air Force (Zhōnghuá Mínguó Kōngjūn, ROCAF) plans to acquire ten Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules medium transport aircraft from the United States, as the oldest C-130H aircraft in its inventory have already exceeded 40 years of service.
Illustrative photo: Staff Sgt. Jeremy McGuffin, USAF
Initially, the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) had planned to modernize its fleet of 19 C-130H transport aircraft (a twentieth airframe is a specialized electronic intelligence – ELINT – variant) under the Taiwushan-3 program. However, it was announced yesterday that due to cost differences, Taiwan will instead purchase 10 newly built Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the United States. These will initially operate alongside the younger C-130H aircraft.
The command emphasized that the requirement stems from threats posed by its main adversary, the China, as well as the current operational status of the fleet, with the goal of building forces adequate for defensive operations.
ROCAF originally acquired 20 C-130H transport aircraft in batches (aircraft serial number 1310 crashed in 1997), along with one modified C-130HE Faraon. The first batch of 12 C-130H aircraft entered service in 1984.
The Air Force had initially planned to upgrade its C-130H fleet under the Taiwushan-3 program between 2025 and 2030. Key elements included the integration of new cockpit interfaces, enhanced maritime search-and-rescue (SAR) capabilities, new simulators, an upgraded GPS navigation system, an aircraft position reporting system, and collision avoidance improvements. However, the entire program has now been canceled.
Military sources told Central News Agency that the decision was primarily driven by financial considerations. In addition to high software upgrade costs, the airframe structure would have required reinforcement, and continued operation of the oldest aircraft entails increased risk. Therefore, the new C-130J aircraft are expected to perform more demanding missions, such as night operations, while the older aircraft will be limited to routine transport tasks.
Compared to the C-130H, the C-130J features a fully digital glass cockpit, more powerful and fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprop engines (4,637 hp each) replacing the Allison T56-A-15 engines (4,590 hp), improved operational range, shorter takeoff and landing distances, greater payload capacity, and reduced crew requirements. Some variants are also equipped with winglets to further reduce fuel consumption.
The C-130J is offered in four basic variants, currently configurable for up to 19 mission types. The prototype first flew on April 5, 1996, and the aircraft has been in service with the U.S. armed forces since 1999. It was developed following the failure of the Advanced Medium STOL Transport program, which had aimed to produce a successor to the C-130 Hercules. The C-130J-30 variant features an extended fuselage, lengthened from 29.79 meters to 34.37 meters.
On November 13, 2025, the United States Department of State approved a potential sale of spare parts and components, including for the C-130H aircraft operated by ROCAF.
In terms of exports, recent customers for the C-130J Super Hercules and its specialized variants, such as aerial refueling tankers, include Mexico, Turkey (second-hand aircraft from the United Kingdom), Egypt, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and France.