Mexico has ordered a second Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules only eight months after acquiring its first aircraft of the type.
Lockheed Martin announced the order on September 23. Mexico ordered its first C-130J-30 in January 2026, becoming the first Latin American customer for the current-generation Hercules.
The Fuerza Aérea Mexicana once operated a considerably larger C-130 fleet. It acquired ten C-130As in the 1980s and later added an L-100-30, C-130E/Hs and former Royal Air Force C-130Ks.
Only three legacy Hercules remain: one L-100-30 and two former British C-130K-30s assigned to Escuadrón Aéreo 302 at Santa Lucía Air Base.
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Mexico chose Hercules after evaluating C-390
The C-130J-30 is the stretched version of the current Super Hercules. Its cargo compartment is 15 ft (4.6 meters) longer than the standard C-130J and the aircraft can carry about 20 metric tons of payload, depending on mission and conditions.
The J model retains the basic configuration of previous Hercules generations but introduced Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprops, six-bladed composite propellers and digital avionics. It also requires a smaller flight crew than older C-130 variants. More than 570 C-130Js have been delivered worldwide, according to the manufacturer.
The decision to retain the Hercules followed a lengthy effort to find replacements for the FAM's old transports.
Embraer actively promoted the C-390 Millennium in Mexico and demonstrated the jet to the Mexican Air Force. A C-390 visited Santa Lucía in July 2024 for a demonstration that included a flight with FAM personnel, while another Brazilian aircraft attended FAMEX 2025.
The Brazilian jet competed for a requirement that also attracted Airbus with the larger A400M. Mexico ultimately selected the C-130J-30, which allows the FAM to retain experience, infrastructure and logistics associated with more than five decades of Hercules operations.
