New Zealand’s first C-130J emerges from paint shop | Royal New Zealand Air Force 

There is no doubt that C - 130 is a great plane! There is no doubt as well that it´s time has gone...Today it is possible to find a much better option, and I don't mean "on paper", but a real concrete one. But as everyone is aware, the choice of a plane by a country does not always contemplate the "best plane", that is a reality, and there are many other factors involved behind those purchases that only God knows. We, poor normal mortals, just keep wondering... No doubt this seems to be the case of Australia and New Zealand. As a matter of fact, quite a few countries recently have made much wiser and logical choices concerning this matter. Life goes on...

Actually retiring them as they are old. Even the RAAF are retiring their C-130J and replacing them with more J due to the age.

@@williamreid2053 Yeah your exactly right, but that doesnt make the C130J old yet, they still have a lot of time, especially with us.

@namehere4506 they have been in service since 2000, so in aircraft terms, they are old. It's actually cheaper to buy new ones than get a mid-life upgrade. Especially when Lockheed-Martin are still building them.

The budget has been spent. Such things take time. I'm sure they are fully aware

for a start, it's the RNZAF. secondly - yes lets buy aircraft that have seen extremely heavy operational use...that would be a real smart buy - NOT!

Sic and Sick, are not the same thing.

Or ask what colour are the wheel wells.......

What for?🤔

To expensive

@@regregan6852 I myself would prefer knowing that we atleast have some form of defensive capabilities seeing as we dont have any defense treatys with any other nation, sure Australia would help us and vise versa, but I wouldn't count on anybody else to go out of their way to lend us a hand when shit hits the fan.

@@moose55105 yea but what "shit" is that that then requires a few jets to apparently solve? Bad guy China? Evil Russia?? Ze Germans???🤔

@@moose55105 to be honest I'm still trying to figure out who would attack, invade, take over (or whatever else we are calling it these days) little old NZ anyway, how exactly, for what actual purpose and where is the precedent that actually brought all this on??🤷‍♂️

Yeah, the Embraers with their speed could have doubled up as VIP transport instead of replacing the Boeings with like for like.

@@freerangewhanau If any airframe was more suited it was the C-2.

Maybe the KC-390 as a replacement for the 757's? If not. A400M? Think it was wise to go with the C-130J though- well proven.

Ohakea

Are you sure it has been delivered? These are usually painted in the LM factory before delivery@@magenta6

Nah it was actually painted at my mum's house.

Nope it was painted in the Lockheed Martin Factory in the USA@@magenta6

According to the NZDF link above it was painted at Lockheed Martin’s factory in Georgia.