Turkey’s defence ministry said the purchase of 12 second‑hand C‑130J Hercules transport aircraft from the UK is proceeding on schedule. The planes will be refurbished and upgraded by Marshall Aerospace in Britain before delivery. The first two aircraft are expected to be handed over by the end of this year, with the remaining units to enter service according to the planned timeline. The acquisition follows a November crash that grounded Turkey’s C‑130 fleet near the Georgia‑Azerbaijan border, leaving the air force reliant on A400M aircraft for tactical transport missions.