The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of the State Department’s approval of the possible sale of five Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules transports to New Zealand.

The sale, first flagged in June 2019 by NZ Defence Minister Ron Mark and subsequently laid out in the New Zealand Defence Capability Plan, will see the RNZAF replace its five aging C-130Hs in service with the C-130Js.

The DSCA notification states the sale is valued at US$1.4bn (NZ$2.19bn), and includes four spare Rolls Royce AE-2100D3 engines, navigation systems, communications including MIDS/Link 16 terminals, self-protection systems including the AN/AAQ-24(V)N LAIRCM system, and various support, spares, training and sustainment packages.

New Zealand will now negotiate the sale with the USAF through a foreign military sales (FMS) arrangement.