NZ7002’s last mission was to Antarctica in September last year, one of 15 flights through to March of this year, delivering personnel and equipment as part of the NZDF deployment to Scott Base and in support of the US Antarctic programme at their base in McMurdo Sound. The final flights to Antarctica by the C-130(H) planes marked nearly 60 years of service to the frozen continent.
The acquisition of the C-130s will take Coulson’s Hercules fleet to 10 planes for aerial firefighting.
Located at Thermal, California, each aircraft undergoes a full conversion and modernisation process and will be equipped with Coulson’s proprietary RADS-XXL tank system - the world’s highest-capacity, highest-flow-rate aerial firefighting tank - enabling precision drops of up to 15,000 litres.
Once converted, the aircraft will expand Coulson’s global response capabilities, supporting firefighting missions worldwide.
“This acquisition represents another major milestone for Coulson Aviation and the future of aerial firefighting,” said Britton Coulson, president and COO of Coulson Aviation USA.
“These aircraft continue to enhance our ability to respond rapidly and effectively to wildfires around the world - saving lives, protecting communities, and safeguarding critical natural and economic resources.
“With the four additional C-130Hs in our fleet, we’re reaffirming our commitment to lead the industry with the most capable, high-performance large airtankers in the world.”
Increasingly destructive fires have challenged firefighting capabilities over recent years, Coulson said, citing Lahania in Maui in 2023 and Malibu, California in 2024/25.
“On days marked by extreme fire behaviour, it’s the large assets like the C-130s and CH-47s that can truly make a difference.”
Coulson Aviation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coulson Aircrane Ltd, registered in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. The company found significant success fighting large fires with the C-130 planes, expanding their fleet in 2019 with five former Norwegian Defence planes.
The New Zealand contingent enlarges that capability in a new role – protecting communities, infrastructure, and natural resources from the growing threat of wildfires.
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