Royal Air Force C-130J Retired

The Royal Air Force marked the retirement of the C-130J Hercules at RAF Brize Norton, ending fifty-six years of Hercules operations that began when the first C-130K entered service in 1966. Fourteen C-130J-30 aircraft remained at the end, and three of them led a farewell flypast over the United Kingdom in the days that followed, with a final public appearance later in the month. The tactical-airlift task passed to the A400M Atlas, whose twenty-two aircraft had just been completed at the same station, and No. 47 Squadron stood down from the Hercules role.