The Lockheed C-130 Hercules - Vol. II Africa

Africa is the continent of the C-130 par excellence.

Alternately a vehicle for projecting force, a tool of soft power, a humanitarian ally, and a generator of economic development, the C-130 has fulfilled the most comprehensive range of missions imaginable. Whether killing terrorists in Somalia or creating jobs in Morocco, it is always the C-130 that is called upon to evacuate Western nationals from countries ravaged by civil war or coups d'état, and it is always the C-130 that drops pallets of food or medicine to populations struck by famine or natural disasters. In this respect, for 65 years it has been a key player in the foreign policy of African and Western countries on the African continent.

The second volume in Xavier Capy's series on the Lockheed C-130 around the world, this book takes a close look at the Hercules' fantastic history in Africa.

The African continent currently has 54 sovereign states, only 16 of which use – or have used – the C-130 Hercules. Unsurprisingly, the North African countries located around the Mediterranean are all equipped with C-130s and also have the largest fleets. It was also in North Africa that the C-130J-30 Super Hercules made its debut on the African continent: first in Tunisia, then more recently in Algeria, with Egypt set to acquire them soon.

Apart from the Central African Republic, Sudan and Zaire, which no longer have any Hercules in service, the thirteen other air forces are still known to have C-130s in operation. However, the following pages will show that, in the case of many African countries, information is fragmentary or even non-existent, and it is very difficult to know whether these fleets are actually operational: there are many aircraft stored in varying states of repair or grounded – awaiting overhaul or due to a lack of spare parts, sometimes for long periods due to budgetary concerns – and it is unclear whether they will ever fly again.180 pages - en français