SAAF’s C-130BZ Hercules 409 expected back in service mid-2026
Date: 24 October 2025
An SA Air Force (SAAF) C-130BZ Hercules has the dubious reputation of being – apart from stored aircraft – the “oldest” resident of Marshall Aerospace where it is undergoing a major service and avionics upgrade.
The aircraft, tail number 409, exited its 28 Squadron base at Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof in August 2023 bound for the United Kingdom, specifically Cambridge, for what was at the time estimated to be an 18-month maintenance period. The two-year plus stay, according to a UK-based South African military aviation aficionado, makes it the “oldest” still in service aircraft at Marshall. Fifteen stored ex-RAF (Royal Air Force) C-130s have longer residence periods. Apart from the lone SAAF medium lift aircraft, Marshall is currently home to another eight long-serving Hercules, all undergoing maintenance and repair to a greater or lesser degree.
“Expected date of completion [of work] and delivery is around mid-2026,” SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Director Corporate Communication, Rear Admiral (JG) Prince Tshabalala, said in response to a DefenceWeb inquiry on Friday 10 October. Once back in South Africa the four-engined workhorse, in addition to other new equipment, will have an ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) system making it South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) compliant. The aircraft’s outdated secondary flight display (SFD) system is also to be upgraded.
The only other 28 Squadron C-130BZ currently flying is 401 “with some operational restrictions” according to the SANDF Directorate Corporate Communication (DCC). Lifting these is “dependent on the availability of required spare parts and once they are acquired, the issue will be addressed internally by 28 Squadron”. 401 was recently seen doing paradrop training around Langebaan, amongst others.
The maintenance and upgrade spend of R1 billion in ring-fenced funding on SAAF medium lift capacity was approved by National Treasury (NT) in the 2023/24 financial reporting period. The money will go to upgrading the remaining six 60-year-old plus Lockheed Martin-built aircraft still in SAAF service. Lieutenant General Wiseman Mbambo’s service originally had nine serviceable C-130s. Two were written off following what are termed “accidents” with another cannibalised for parts.
At the time of 409’s departure for Marshall, DefenceWeb correspondent Dean Wingrin reported the next major service and upgrade for a 28 Squadron aircraft would be 405, scheduled for mid-2024. The stated aim at that time was to have one and possibly two C-130BZs operational with maintenance under way on the others.
Marshall Aerospace in the early 2000s worked on the SAAF Hercules fleet under Project Ebb, among others fitting digital avionics, giving the aircraft so-called “glass cockpits”. Marshall Aerospace added a digital autopilot, flight displays, a navigation systems upgrade, communications and self-defence integration and enhancements to the electrical generation system. Three aircraft were upgraded in the UK and the remaining six in South Africa by Denel. Since the completion of these upgrades, in-country maintenance of the fleet has been performed by Denel.
Fully upgrading and maintaining all six remaining C-130s will cost just over R4 billion but it’s not clear how or if this will be funded.
According to African Defence Review Director Darren Olivier, there are six SAAF C-130BZs in the fleet that can be made airworthy: 401, 402, 405, 406, 408, and 409. Once 409 returns from the UK, 405 will then be flown to Marshall for its own upgrade and service. 406 is currently being serviced at Denel, and 401, 405, and 406 will be followed at staggered intervals by 402 and 408, both of which need substantial regeneration work which has already been planned for.
“So over the next three to four years, all six aircraft will rotate through major servicing and upgrade, allowing for a peak of four aircraft airworthy at once in 2028/29 or 2029/30, as long as funding remains available. Each service takes months, even at Marshall (which is currently behind schedule on 409), so there’s no way to rush this unless you use multiple providers at a much greater expense. As it is, the SAAF has achieved greater capacity by contracting Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge for both the upgrade kit and to use one of their bays to perform a major service and upgrade on two of the C-130s, given that Denel has only a single C-130 servicing bay available,” Olivier explained.
Republished with permission of defenceWeb.
