British company Marshall has secured a £4.5 million contract extension to continue providing technical support to the French Air Force’s fleet of 14 Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules aircraft.

This extension builds on an initial four-year contract, previously extended by two years and awarded by the state maintenance organisation Service Industriel de l’Aéronautique (SIAé).

Under the extended contract, Marshall will continue to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul support, primarily from its SIAé facility in Clermont, France.

In addition, Marshall will supply C-130 parts and repair kits manufactured in-house under exclusive authorization from Lockheed Martin.

“Securing this additional contract extension demonstrates the confidence that SIAé and the French Air Force continue to place in us to keep their fleet airworthy,” said Mark Hewer, Director of Aero Engineering at Marshall.

“Our close collaboration and frequency of contact with SIAé allows us to understand emerging needs and respond to them immediately, leveraging our platform expertise as much as our technical excellence.”

Marshall’s relationship with the French Air Force began with the award of the first contract in December 2017. During and after the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, Marshall has supported the Air Force and strengthened its commitment and reliability.

The French Air Force’s C-130H fleet has played an important role in military operations in Africa, including Operation Serval in Mali and several humanitarian missions in the Middle East and North Africa.