Lockheed Martin and Leonardo have entered into an agreement to consider expanding maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa (MENA).
Under this agreement, Leonardo’s facilities could serve as an MRO centre for C-130J operators in the designated regions.
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Lockheed Martin will support Leonardo with technical assistance, equipment, and training to develop additional capabilities at the latter’s facilities in Italy.
Leonardo stated that enhancing the MRO capacity in Italy would provide C-130J operators in Europe and MENA with faster access to original equipment manufacturer-certified maintenance services.
The arrangement is also expected to improve planning, proximity, and readiness for aircraft fleets in these areas.
The latest agreement builds on the two-decade partnership between Lockheed Martin and Leonardo, which has already provided technical and logistical support to the Italian Air Force’s C-130J fleet.
According to Leonardo, further cooperation may include exploring additional C-130J maintenance and sustainment business opportunities in the future.
The establishment of a strengthened MRO centre in Italy could also contribute to improving interoperability among Nato’s C-130J operators, it stated.
The C-130J is the most recent model in the C-130 series, introduced to replace older C-130E aircraft and some C-130H aircraft with high usage hours.
The aircraft features modern technologies that decrease manpower needs and reduce both operating and support expenses, resulting in lower life-cycle costs compared to earlier variants.
To date, over 570 C-130J aircraft have been delivered to operators in 27 countries worldwide, with 16 of those in Europe and the MENA, regions that could benefit from the proposed Italian MRO centre.
