In advance of the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visiting the country this week, the Australian government has confirmed its intention to purchase 20 Lockheed Martin military transport Hercules aircraft for a reported US$6.6 billion (£5.1 billion).
The deal comes on top of the U.S. State Department giving the green light to the sale back in November 2022, together with the sale of related equipment. The deal comes during the biggest-ever Australia-U.S. joint military exercise, involving more than 30,000 troops and participants from 11 other countries, as a clear show of force at a time when China has emerged as an increasingly dominant force in the Indo-Pacific region.
The biennial Talisman Sabre war games began on Friday 21 July, and is scheduled take place in a number of locations across Australia for two weeks. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and Austin will travel to north Queensland to watch the military exercise following the annual meeting of U.S. and Australian defence and foreign ministers, referred to as AUSMIN, in Brisbane on July 28-29.
The new C-130J Hercules aircraft will replace and expand upon the aging fleet of 12 planes presently operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, with delivery of the first aircraft due in 2027, Marles said in a statement. “From bush fire and flood emergencies across the country, the delivery of crucial supplies to the region during the COVID-19 pandemic and more than two decades supporting peacekeeping operations, this has and will continue to be a crucial asset.”
