• The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin).
• The aircraft first entered service in 1956, and is now the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide.
• Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft.
• More than 40 variants of the Hercules, including civilian versions marketed as the Lockheed L-100, operate in more than 60 nations.
• The Philippine Air Force had 3 C-130 aircraft, all from the United States, in its fleet.
• Of the three, the first one, a C-130B model delivered by the US in January 2021 with tail number 5125, was what crashed in Sulu on Sunday.
• The PAF is ordering two more C-130J "Super Hercules" from the United States.
