From launching paratroopers into battle to landing soldiers in dusty warzones under fire the Hercules transport plane has been the RAF’s main tactical workhorse for decades.
It has dropped thousands of tons of supplies including heavy vehicles, weapons and survival goods deep into hostile territory in the UK’s war-zones for generations of troops.
The US-made aerial workhorse has been the backbone for UK forces since the last century and went on to be pitched against enemy forces in conflicts including Iraq and Afghanistan.
Now the mighty C-130 RAF Hercules transport aircraft is preparing for retirement from UK service and a jaw-dropping gallery has revealed it in action.
Images were captured by an RAF photographer and reveal the plane carrying out many types of missions - from transport duties to transporting troops.
The last time I saw it in action was in Jordan and Ukraine - just before the Russian invasion - as British Paras demonstrated their skills in low-altitude drops along with local troops.
Those demonstrations were watched from the ground, the skies filled with British troops, heavily laden with weapons, dropping from just a few hundred feet.
But on a number of occasions in the past two decades I have flown in Hercules planes packed with troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
In both warzones and on many occasions Hercules planes had to bank steeply into land, spiraling at speed and slamming uncomfortably into desert landing strips to avoid insurgent fire.
Troops were so used to this trusty craft taking the abrupt landings that many of them, sometimes exhausted from their duties only woke up with the jolt of the landing.
Now a flypast to mark its stand-down from RAF service is set to take place across all four nations of the UK on Wednesday 14 June.
Planned flights by three aircraft will cover locations of significance to the Hercules' service and 47 Squadron.
The RAF’s 47 Squadron and the Hercules will continue to deliver on operations supporting UK defence objectives until 30 June.
The first Hercules arrived at aerospace company Marshall's of Cambridge in December 1966. Since entering RAF service, originally with 242 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Thorney Island, it has operated across the globe in support of UK military and humanitarian relief operations.
The Hercules is known as the RAF's primary tactical transport aircraft and in its current C.Mk 4 and C.Mk 5 versions of the C-130J-30 and C-130J have been the backbone of UK operation since it was brought into service in 1999.
It is frequently employed to operate into countries or regions where there is a threat to aircraft; its performance, tactics and defensive systems make it the ideal platform for such tasks.
The transition to the 22-strong Atlas (A400) fleet and other air mobility aircraft has been ongoing for some time.
The RAF’s 47 Squadron and the Hercules will continue to deliver on operations supporting UK defence objectives until 30 June 23.
Former British soldier Mike Tapp, Labour’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Dover and Deal said: “We must ensure we maintain expeditionary capability. Securing an airfield doesn’t get rid of incoming ground-to-air threats, as we saw in Iraq so ensuring we can make safe entry - as the C-130 did so well is essential.
“As uncomfortable as the rapid, steep entry is, it is essential to troops’ safety.
“The C-130 has served British forces very well for many years.”
