C-130 Firefighting Fleet Doubles as Coulson Acquires 10 RCAF Jets

Coulson Aviation has announced a major expansion of its C-130 firefighting fleet through the conditional acquisition of 10 retired CC-130H Hercules aircraft from the Government of Canada. The deal, announced Aug. 7, 2026, will effectively double Coulson's global C-130H fleet from 10 to 20 aircraft, significantly boosting the company's aerial firefighting capacity at a time of growing wildfire activity worldwide.

The aircraft, formerly operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force, will undergo extensive conversions at facilities in British Columbia before entering service as large air tankers. Coulson plans to equip the aircraft with the RADS-XXL retardant delivery system, capable of dropping up to 4,000 gallons of water or fire retardant per pass. The C-130 Hercules is widely regarded as one of the most capable platforms for large-scale aerial firefighting conversions, prized for its structural durability, high payload capacity and proven airframe longevity.

The acquisition remains conditional, pending contractual completion and Transport Canada regulatory approvals. The conversion process is labor-intensive — industry estimates put the workload at roughly 20,000 hours per aircraft — meaning the expanded fleet will not be available for the current fire season. The Government of Canada described the sale as responsible stewardship of surplus military assets designed to strengthen private-sector wildfire response capability.