Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department plans to spend on the upgrade and life-extension programme for the C130-J programme.

The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 announced an out of service date (OSD) extension of 14 C130J Mk4 aircraft from 2022 to 2030. This does not constitute an extension of the overall design life of the platform, but a revision of the Royal Air Force's planned OSD. During this period, it is currently estimated that, over and above annual support costs, approximately £200 million will be spent on key components to maintain the life of the aircraft and £150 million on upgrading the fleet with new capabilities.