CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia said Monday it will buy 20 new C-130 Hercules from the United States in a 9.8 billion Australian dollar ($6.6 billion) deal that will increase by two-thirds the size of the Australian air force’s fleet of its second-largest heavy transport aircraft.
The announcement follows the U.S. Congress’ approval last year of a larger sale of 24 of the Lockheed Martin-manufactured propellor-driven aircraft.
The United States and Australia are currently conducting their biennial Talisman Sabre military exercise along the Australian coast that this year involves 13 nations and more thfrn 30,000 personnel as global concerns intensify over an increasingly assertive China.
Australian Ariarne Titmus has set a new world record on the way to a decisive victory in the women’s 400-meter freestyle on the opening day of the world swimming championships, with silver for American Katie Ledecky and bronze for Erika Fairweather of New Zealand.
Ariarne Titmus of Australia has broken the world record in the women 400-meter freestyle in a star-studded race that featured three women who have held the mark.
Australia has retained the Ashes after rain prevented any play on the final day of the fourth test against England at Old Trafford after weeks of blockbuster entertainment in the closest and most exciting Ashes contest since 2005.
Haiti has given its fans a boost with its spirited performance during a Women’s World Cup debut that came up just short in a 1-0 loss to European champion England.
The first of the new four-engine Hercules is expected to be delivered in 2027 and the new aircraft will eventually replace the fleet of 12 Hercules currently operated by the Royal Australian Air Force from RAAF Base Richmond near Sydney, Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy said.
The purchase “will almost double the fleet and represents a massive uplift in capability, in mobility and transport for the Royal Australian Air Force,” Conroy told reporters.
“Almost doubling the fleet gives us more capacity to deploy them on multiple operations at the same time, and that’s the critical driver,” Conroy added.
The Australian air force also operates eight of the larger Boeing C-17A Globemaster heavy transport jet aircraft.
The deal was confirmed ahead of U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with their Australian counterparts for annual talks late this week in the Australian city of Brisbane.
It is Blinken’s third trip to Asia in less than two months, highlighting U.S. efforts to counter growing Chinese influence in the region.
A closer bilateral military relationship with Australia was underscored Saturday when the USS Canberra was commissioned in Sydney. The Independence-variant littoral combat ship, built by Australian manufacturer Austal, became the first U.S. warship to be commissioned in a foreign port.
The original Canberra was a U.S. cruiser launched in 1943 and named after the Australian cruiser HMAS Canberra, which was torpedoed by the Japanese in 1942 with a loss of 193 lives while supporting U.S. Marines landings in the Solomon Islands. The Australian warship was named for Australia’s capital.
The Solomons are again a security concern for the United States and its allies over recent security agreements that the South Pacific nation signed with China.
#Australia #buy #C130 #Hercules #aircraft #billion
English 
Hindi
Leave a Reply