Gwalior: The Indian Air Force’s new C-130 J aircraft, has crashed near Gawlior in Madhya Pradesh after taking off from Agra. All five air force personnel on board were killed.
The military transport plane, India’s biggest, is also known as Super Hercules. It crashed 72 kms or 115 miles west of Gwalior.
The plane was on a routine flying training mission, said an air force spokesperson to news agency Press Trust of India.
India had recently inducted six C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, which were bought from the US at the cost of around Rs. 6000 crore (USD 1.1 billion) four years ago.
In August last year, in a strong message to China, the Indian Air Force today landed its C-130J Super Hercules transport plane at the world’s highest airstrip Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control, the scene of a stand-off with Chinese troops in April 2013.
The landing signals that the armed forces can use the heavy-lift aircraft to deliver troops, supplies, and equipment to the border with China.
“The military transport plane, India’s biggest, is also known as Super Hercules.”
This aircraft is much smaller than the IAF C-17’s and the Russian made aircraft the C-17’s are replacing.