With the Philippine Air Force (PAF) about to grow its C-130 Hercules fleet, Australia has shared its experience of keeping the transport aircraft flying on operations.
In September, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) sent five aviators to the Joint Australian Training Team - Philippines (JATT-P) program.
Travelling from 37 Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond in Sydney's north-west, the aviators worked with PAF counterparts at Mactan Air Base in the Philippines.
The Australians briefed on Hercules engineering, maintenance and logistics support with the 222nd Airlift Squadron and 470th Maintenance and Support Group.
Flight Lieutenant Peter Chung, a logistics officer with 37 Squadron, led the mobile training team (MTT).
"This MTT was an inaugural initiative, and marked the beginning of a journey in supporting the PAF's C-130J transition," Flight Lieutenant Chung said.
"The MTT delivered a blended training package to the PAF, designed to enhance their foundational level of C-130J aircraft maintenance, common faults and logistics planning considerations for future platform sustainment.
"We also covered away-base operations and deployed logistics considerations, as well as mutual logistics processes to operate the C-130J."
The RAAF has considerable experience with the J model Hercules, being one of the first operators when it introduced its fleet of 12 aircraft in 1999, and is about to introduce a new fleet of C-130Js from 2027.
The PAF currently operates five 'legacy' C-130 aircraft, and in 2026 it will introduce three new C-130J Hercules.
In the Philippine service, these will bring increased range, payload and performance over legacy C-130 variants.
'The PAF were extremely grateful for the opportunity to work together with the RAAF and draw upon its extensive experience operating the C-130J.'
The MTT activity in September provided classroom presentations to Philippine maintenance and logistics specialists, and on-the-job training and integration with the respective squadrons.
"The PAF were extremely grateful for the opportunity to work together with the RAAF and draw upon its extensive experience operating the C-130J," Flight Lieutenant Chung said.
"The engagement revealed a workforce eager to modernise its maintenance philosophy, improve technical proficiency and adopt best practices across planning, documentation, troubleshooting and equipment usage."
Both Australia and the Philippines count on their Hercules and greater air mobility fleet to carry people and cargo during times of need.
Each C-130 Hercules can carry up to 20 tonnes of cargo or up to 100 passengers - potentially more in an emergency - and are able to land on remote, semi-prepared runways.
The Philippines has a population of about 117 million people spread across thousands of inhabited islands, meaning the PAF must overcome significant logistical challenges during domestic operations.
The Australian Defence Force has considerable experience using the Hercules on operations in the region, including on disaster relief deployments to the Philippines.
"Effective C-130J maintenance and logistics procedures are critical in generating air mobility capability for the PAF and broader Armed Forces of the Philippines," Flight Lieutenant Chung said.
"The PAF is looking forward to ongoing cooperation in order to support future development of its air mobility capability to conduct tasks ranging from improved access to remote communities or airdrop missions."
The C-130 maintenance MTT is part of a larger program of JATT-P engagements between Australia and the Philippines conducted each year.
MTTs are drawn from Navy, Army and Air Force areas of expertise, as well as other military fields including operational planning, strategic communications and cyber resilience.
Previous RAAF MTTs have included deployed air traffic control and airfield survey and damage repair - both of which are essential for supporting airlift operations from remote airfields.
