Türkiye has contracted the Cambridge based aircraft maintenance company, Marshall Aerospace, to support the 12 legacy C-130J tactical transporters Ankara acquired from the UK.
In partnership with the UK Defence Equipment and Support, Export and Sales, Marshall supported the resale process as the principal retail partner for these aircraft, while conducting ongoing anti-deterioration maintenance and storage at its facility.
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In addition to the scheduled maintenance, Marshall will have completed centre wing box replacements on each of the airframes prior to the aircraft entering into service with the Turkish Air Force.
The multi-year agreement covers entry into service and sustainment of the whole fleet, including scheduled maintenance, spares, and tooling, as well as training. Marshall revealed that the maintenance training will enable Turkish industry to “build up an indigenous capability on the C-130J platform” in a statement on 20 October 2025.
According to GlobalData’s Turkish defence market report, the nation is eager to invest in its domestic defence industry to fulfill ambitious foreign policy goals. In fact, the main form of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Turkish defence industry is through joint ventures and through offset programmes.
While Türkiye is committed to procuring from domestic sources, FDI allows for technology and knowledge transfer which in turn promote the development of indigenous processes and knowledge bases.
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By GlobalDataThis latest deal in obtaining critical knowledge of maintenance and sustainment of a widely used albeit legacy platform that stretches back to the 1950s fits the government’s foreign policy objectives in ascending as a competitive defence supplier on the world stage.
Other agreements include an industrial joint venture named LBA Systems, which formed during the Paris Air Show in June 2025, whereby Türkiye’s leading drone manufacturer Baykar will utilise the advanced electronics and payloads from Italy’s Leonardo for its uncrewed platforms.
Additional Turkish platform purchases from the UK include the acquisition of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft in late July. Even this memorandum of understanding mentions “supporting both countries’ defence industries”, which may relate to future offsets or technology transfers.
Formerly RAF transporters
The C-130J had been the UK Royal Air Force’s primary tactical transport aircraft until the service reached full operational capability of the A400M Atlas in 2018.
The platform, an enduring American heavy lift cargo aircraft, is capable of airdropping a variety of stores and paratroopers into areas that would otherwise be unsafe for all on board, should they be required to land there.
An updated version of the C-130 Hercules, the C-130J can operate at night as well as remain in formation during poor weather. Being able to refuel in the air mid-flight enhances the aircraft’s capacity to travel long distances without needing to land.
Four Allison AE turboprop engines with Dowty Aerospace six-bladed composite propellers combined with the new Full Authority Digital Engine Control system, allows the C-130J to take off with increased thrust and ensures better fuel efficiency.
