U.S. To Provide Poland With Five Used C-130Es

The United States will provide Poland from 2007 with five used Hercules C-130E transport planes made by Lockheed Martin, the Polish defense ministry said Jan. 12.

”The first plane will be delivered to Poland at the end of 2007 and the last in August 2009,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry did not specify the cost of the deal but it added that Poland would receive non-returnable aid of $82.9 million (68.9 million euros) as part of the transaction.

The Hercules C-130E aircraft are a “provisional solution, pending the acquisition of a definitive transport plane on the American or European market”, the statement added.

Designed to transport troops, vehicles or military hardware, the Hercules C-130E can take off from short landing strips. It can carry 128 soldiers, 92 paratroopers or 17 tons of cargo.

Source: DefenceNews .com