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Main>Articles>Military Stuff>C-130 Hercules
C-130
Hercules
The
most widely proliferated medium-lift cargo aircraft in the world, the
C-130 Hercules has been an integral part of the airlift component of the
RMAF. Its illustrious history with the RMAF began when six C-130H aircraft
were acquired in 1976. The first air force in the region to operate the
Hercules, the RMAF's main task for the Hercules was to transport large
amounts of cargo between Peninsular and East Malaysia, which is separated
by several hundred miles of ocean. With the Hercules in service, the time
it took to transfer equipment between the two parts of Malaysia was reduced
to a matter of hours instead of the days it took for it to reach by sea.
In 1980, the RMAF again made a Hercules purchase.
This time, 3 C-130H-MP (Maritime Patrol) aircraft were acquired for maritime
surveillance purposes. These aircraft were given the nickname 'Camar'
(Albatross) and were assigned to 4 Squadron. 
However,
two of the Camars have since been converted into airborne tankers and
have been redesignated as KC-130H. The Camars can be distinguished from
other RMAF Hercules by means of their color scheme, which is pale gray.
Other RMAF Hercs are painted green.
An additional six C-130H-30 Hercules aircraft were
purchased in 1992, further increasing airlift capacity of the RMAF. The
C-130H-30 version is a stretched version of the C-130H. As of 2002, Airod
Sdn. Bhd. has begun stretching the other C-130Hs of the RMAF to the C-130H-30
versions, being the only Lockheed authorized company in the region to
perform such modifications.
One of the primary roles of the RMAF Hercules in
recent times has been the transport and deployment of the Pasukan Aturgerak
Cepat (or Rapid Deployment Force). In numerous exercises, the Hercules
has been used to drop airborne troops as well as equipment, demonstrating
the ability of the Malaysian Army to deploy its troops anywhere in Malaysia
rapidly.
The
Hercules has always played a vital role in the deployment of Malaysian
troops to overseas missions, ferrying them as far as the Balkans. It also
transported a new main mast to South America when Jalur Gemilang's mast
broke in one of the longest flights ever undertaken by the RMAF. The Hercules
has also been used frequently to transport Malaysian relief teams worldwide.
With numerous other missions, it can be concluded that, the Hercules has
been a reliable workhorse for the RMAF. With no apparent replacement being
considered by the RMAF, it is safe to say that the Hercules will continue
to soldier on for the years to come.