Sweden C-130

Swedish Air Force C-130H Hercules tactical airlifters were set to be replaced by used Italian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft but such a plan looks to have been abruptly ended. (Swedish Air Force)

BELFAST — Sweden will reassess options to replace a fleet of six Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules tactical airlifters after an attempt to acquire used C-130J Super Hercules aircraft unexpectedly failed to meet requirements.

The acquisition “needs to be reviewed after completed analysis of quotation from industry,” stated a translated version of the Swedish Armed Forces Budget 2024.

The Swedish Armed Forces now intend on sharing a “new action plan” with the government to be included in future budget documents or by alternative means, according to the document, published Feb. 28.

The report itself does not contain any additional details about the parties involved in the failed acquisition process. However, according to a report from Key Aero, the Swedish Air Force agreed in June 2022 to buy two second hand C-130’s from Italy, with plans on acquiring an additional four aircraft from Rome down the line.

Former Swedish Air Force Commander, Maj Gen Carl-Johan Edström, said at the time that the first two used Italian C-130’s would be delivered to Sweden in 2023.

Neither the Swedish MoD and the Italian MoD responded to a request for comment on the matter at the time of publication.

“We are prepared to support the Swedish Air Force in meeting its current and future tactical airlift requirements with the C-130J Super Hercules, which has distinguished itself as the global choice in tactical airlift,” said a Lockheed Martin spokesperson in a statement to Breaking Defense.

Stockholm had previously planned on carrying out a mid-life upgrade to extend the life of the C-130H fleet out to 2030, before deciding on the Italian second hand aircraft plan.

Further procurement delay brought on by developing a “new action plan” comes after the latest Swedish Armed Forces annual report revealed that the C-130 fleet experienced low availability in 2022 because the aircraft remained with Lockheed “longer than expected.”

Swedish Air Force acquisition problems are not confined to the C-130 alone. It axed the NH90 helicopter program in November 2022, following senior officials citing poor availability of the aircraft. A decline in Gripen fighter jet flight hours caused by a pilot shortage also looks set to test the service long term and puts obvious pressure on the backbone of Swedish air power at a time when Russian threats have become more acute since the war in Ukraine.

More generally, Russia’s actions have led to Sweden dropping military non-alliance and applying, alongside Finland, to join NATO, vowing to reach the alliance’s 2 percent defense spending target by 2026.