Taiwan’s Air Force has decided to purchase 10 new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the United States, scrapping earlier plans to upgrade its aging C-130H fleet. Officials determined that extending the life of the four-decade-old H models would provide limited operational value relative to cost. Structural reinforcements, avionics modernization, and mission system upgrades had significantly increased complexity. The C-130J offers a digital cockpit, more powerful engines, longer range, higher payload capacity, and reduced crew requirements. Taiwan will operate a high-low fleet mix, assigning the newer J-models to more demanding missions such as night operations, while older H variants handle routine transport roles.
