The Canadian federal government announced on Friday the sale of 10 retired CC-130H Hercules aircraft to Coulson Aviation, a British Columbia-based aerospace company. These aircraft are part of a fleet of 12 that were decommissioned by the Royal Canadian Air Force earlier in the year, with the remaining two slated for display in public areas.
The Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, Stephen Fuhr, revealed the conditional agreement for the sale during an event in Abbotsford, B.C., coinciding with an international air show. Fuhr praised the sale as a top-tier divestment initiative that will repurpose the military assets effectively.
With the global demand for firefighting resources on the rise due to escalating wildfires, the move to convert the Hercules aircraft into firefighting tankers is seen as a strategic response. Coulson Aviation’s CEO, Wayne Coulson, expressed optimism about having the first converted aircraft ready for the upcoming wildfire season, with plans to swiftly convert the remaining planes.
The conversion process will be undertaken at Coulson Aviation’s own expense, with services to be offered under government contracts. The aircraft conversions are set to take place in Port Alberni, B.C., and potentially in Abbotsford and Kelowna.
The Hercules aircraft, which served as a vital component of Canada’s military airlift capabilities for many years, are being replaced by the more advanced C-130J tactical aircraft. The converted Hercules tankers will have the capacity to carry substantial amounts of retardant for firefighting missions worldwide.
While the exact sale price remains confidential under the commercial agreement, both the company and the government emphasized the importance of repurposing these assets efficiently rather than retaining them idly. The sale of military assets is not always feasible, and in cases where assets reach the end of their service life, disposal becomes necessary, as seen with the planned retirement and likely scrapping of Canada’s Victoria-class submarines in the coming decade.