What happened to the Belgische Luchtmacht Hercules fleet?
Almost one year back, on 17 December 2021, the Belgische Luchtmacht (BLu, Belgian Air Force) 15th Wing Air Transport said goodbye to the venerable Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules transport aircraft after almost fifty years of service.
With the so-called Hercules Farewell Tour two two-ship formations departed Melsbroek, one flight flew westbound the other eastbound. The BLu C-130Hs were accompanied by a USAFE C-130J and an Aeronautica Militare (ItAF, Italian Air Force) C-130J.
The Belgian Ministry of Defence (MoD) sold seven of the remaining C-130Hs to Pakistan. Scramble Magazine reported about this sale on 26 July 2022. All transporters were overhauled at the Sabena Aerospace facility at Brussels and received a fresh coat of paint before delivery to the Pakistan Fiza'ya (Pakistan Air Force).
From the remaining Hercules transporters, only one, serial CH13, is preserved at Beauvechain air base. The Belgian Air Force Heritage Museum at Melsbroek managed to save the forward fuselage of C-130H CH03. The rest of the fuselage was scrapped at Melsbroek. The Hercules which can be seen on the photo, serial CH10, was unfortunately scrapped in November 2019, its tail survived and is now preserved at the entrance of the 15th Wing at Melsbroek.
Overview of the BLu C-130H fleet:
Pakistan Air Force C-130Hs 4482 and 4479 outside on the ramp at Melsbroek Air Base. (August 2022, Belgische Luchtmacht, Belgian Air Force) |
Pakistan Air Force C-130H serial 4482 photographed at Melsbroek Air Base inside the Fromson hangar. (December 2022, Belgische Luchtmacht, Belgian Air Force) |
Photos by Demo Borstell (via planespotters.net) and Belgische Luchtmacht, Belgian Air Force