Marietta, Ga. The Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (FAM) recently announced the acquisition of their first Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlifter, making Mexico the first country in Latin America to operate the C-130J.
The FAM’s acquisition of the Super Hercules was the first of two international C-130J contract awards to close out in 2025, with the second new international customer yet to be disclosed. In choosing the C-130J-30 Super Hercules, the most advanced Hercules ever built, Mexico joins 24 other nations and a global fleet of more than 560 C-130Js operating today.
A longtime Hercules operator, the FAM is recapitalising its legacy fleet with the modern C-130J-30 Super Hercules — a decision rooted in five decades of proven C-130 operational performance and existing interoperability between nations.
FAM crews will operate the C-130J-30 Super Hercules — the stretch version of the C-130J that adds 15 feet of cargo space ― marking a new modern era of tactical airlift capability for Mexico and Latin America. With increased power, range, fuel efficiency and space, the C-130J-30 provides the FAM with proven and known capabilities ready to support any tactical mission requirements while leveraging Mexico’s decades of C-130 flying, maintenance and logistics experience.
Leveraging their knowledge of the C-130 aircraft and existing infrastructure enables a seamless transition for Mexico, saving significant time, while ensuring sustained fleet readiness and faster modernisation through continued access to Lockheed Martin’s established global enterprise-wide network.
“This historic decision by Mexico reflects the continued trust placed in the C-130J Super Hercules by operators around the world,” said Trish Pagan, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Air Mobility & Maritime Missions. “With their new C-130J-30, the Fuerza Aérea Mexicana’s tactical airlift capability will deliver unmatched performance, exceptional reliability, and the versatility to perform all 20 missions the C-130J is certified to execute across Mexico, throughout Latin America, and worldwide. The C-130J-30 is truly built to deliver and built to last.”
For more than 50 years, the C-130 Hercules has played a vital role in Mexico’s response to natural disasters, military operations and other critical missions. The C-130 is a powerful symbol of Mexico’s commitment to regional security and cooperation, and its continued operation is a testament to the strong partnership between Lockheed Martin and the FAM.
Mexico’s selection comes amid renewed interest in multi-role airlift capabilities across Latin America. The C-130J Super Hercules provides the FAM operators what no other tactical airlifter can: certified multi-mission versatility, proven operational performance, a true global presence, known capabilities and trusted reliability.
The C-130J Super Hercules is the latest generation of the legendary C-130 Hercules. Built with advanced avionics, increased range and speed, and enhanced survivability, the C-130J is certified across 20 different mission sets — including airdrop, search and rescue, firefighting, medevac, ISR, special operations, among others. It is the only tactical airlifter with a global fleet of more than 560 aircraft and continues to serve as the backbone of air mobility worldwide.
