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Coulson Aviation (USA) Inc. has bought five C-130H transport planes from the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency (NDMA), which will be modified into firefighting aircraft.
The formal takeover is planned for the end of this year/early 2020.
In March 2018, the NDMA sales process was initiated through a Request for Proposal (RFP). Six companies responded to the RFP; however, only Coulson Aviation was able to provide the required documentation, including the current government contracts, which was part of the sales regulations. The sale to Coulson Aviation has been approved by U.S. Authorities, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Norwegian Ministry of Defense.
“The entire NDMA team has been a pleasure to work with and we look forward to giving Balder, Brage, Frøy, Odin and Ty a new life,” said Britt Coulson, president of Coulson Aviation. “These C-130Hs have been maintained to the highest standard and with our modifications, along with a new glass cockpit, they will continue to serve the public for years to come.”
The five C-130Hs have been stored at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) in Tucson, Ariz.
“These airplanes have been very important for the Norwegian Defense, and I am pleased that they will now also be useful for civilian purposes,” said Frank Bakke-Jensen, Norwegian minister of Defense.
Mette Sørfonden, director general for NDMA, added, “This is the most significant materiel sales project finalized after the establishment of NDMA, and it has been an important achievement […].”
With this purchase, Coulson Aviation is further expanding its aerial firefighting fleet to combat the growing threat of wildfires around the world.
