A new contract for these RAF ‘workhorse’ planes will secure 1,200 British jobs

Reuters

RAF Hercules aircraft are dubbed the “workhorses” of the sky for Britain’s Ministry of Defence.

This is because they carry troops, supplies and equipment in support of military operations and the MoD pretty much can’t live without them.

Cambridge-based Marshall Aerospace, Lockheed Martin and Rolls-Royce, jointly just won a £369 million ($547 million) to maintain the Royal Air Force’s Hercules fleet of C-130Js until 2022.

Marshall Aerospace posted a statement on its website saying that the collaboration will “support humanitarian operations such as the recent floods in Nepal, contingency operations like Op SHADER as well as routine supply missions to overseas bases.”

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told the BBC that the contract “will secure around 1,200 skilled jobs and ensure our essential RAF transport aircraft are prepared for operations for years to come.”