Israel’s first Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules airlifter arrived at Nevatim Air Base recently. Israel ordered its C-130Js through a foreign military sale (FMS) contract with the US Government. This is the first ferry of the C-130Js currently on order for the IAF, which has operated legacy C-130s since 1971.

In non-combat – but equally harsh environments – C-130Js are often the first to support humanitarian missions such as search and rescue, aerial firefighting in the US, and delivering relief supplies after earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons and tsunamis around the world.

This C-130J Super Hercules was first delivered to the Israeli Air Force in June 2013 in Marietta, Georgia, at the Lockheed Martin facility where it was manufactured. The aircraft remained in the US to receive Israeli-specific, post-production modifications.