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.
