Lockheed C-130 Hercules C-130H

The C-130H is essentially identical to the C-130E but fitted with more powerful Allison T56-A-15 turboprops. It was introduced in June 1964, with 308 aircraft initially ordered by the United States Air Force, and over time became the most widely exported and commercially successful variant of the entire Hercules program, operated by dozens of air forces worldwide.

Over its long production run, the C-130H underwent successive improvements. Aircraft built between 1992 and 1996 received the unofficial designation C-130H3, the "3" denoting the third generation of design improvements within the H series. These included ring-laser gyros for the inertial guidance system, GPS receivers, a partial glass cockpit with ADI and HSI instruments, a more capable color APN-241 radar, night-vision-compatible instrument lighting, and an integrated radar and missile-warning system, alongside an electrical-system upgrade.

The C-130H airframe also formed the basis for stretched versions, such as the C-130H-30, from which specialized conversions like the US Navy's KC-130T-30 tanker were in turn derived. Numerous mission-specific variants were also built on the C-130H airframe, including the AC-130W Stinger II gunship, the WC-130H weather aircraft, the ski-equipped LC-130H for polar operations, the VC-130H VIP transport, and the KC-130H tanker, as well as locally modified versions such as Brazil's C-130M.

Decades after its introduction, the C-130H remains the backbone of tactical airlift for numerous allied air forces, with retired examples — such as those of Norway, Belgium, and Saudi Arabia — now preserved in aviation museums as a testament to its extensive operational career.