Colombian president calls ex-USAF C-130H a ‘crappy’ gift after deadly crash
March 25, 2026
Following the deadly crash of the C-130H, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to question the ‘crappy’ gift of an ex-USAF C-130 Hercules. 69 Colombian service personnel have died, and the nation has declared three days of mourning.
Colombian President blasts ‘crappy’ C-130H gift
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has strongly condemned the military’s reliance on ageing, second-hand aircraft after a transport plane crash claimed the lives of at least 69 soldiers.
He wrote, “An army cannot defend its own people with crappy gifts. What doesn’t serve them, they give away—and the ‘gift’ ends up costing more than buying it new.”
Solo a usted se le ocurre decir que un avión de 43 años, como los Kfir que tienen 50 años no es chatarra. Toda máquina tiene una vida útil, prolongar su uso es indigno y mortal para quienes de verdad ponen el pecho en la trinchera. https://t.co/faBEejo2ZN
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 24, 2026
Petro continued, “Extremely expensive ‘gifts.’ The maintenance costs more than a new aircraft—and how much are the lost lives worth? Question: Why did you buy an aircraft with 43 years of service? How was the maintenance contract arranged?”
That statement appears somewhat disingenuous, as it was around 37 years old at the time of the handover in 2020.
Petro added, “Since the first day of my government, I have called for buying new equipment or producing it ourselves.”
It’s election season in Colombia, and it seems it took five minutes for the tragedy to become political. Petro has served as the President of Colombia since 2022, and his second (current) term ends in August 2026.
The specific aircraft was the C-130H (#: FAC-1016) delivered to Colombia in September 2020 from the U.S.
— SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) March 23, 2026
The unit was in service with the USAF as (#: 83-0488) and was commissioned into service in 1983; 43 years old at the time of the crash today. https://t.co/4Adqe1xvDh pic.twitter.com/U2bahiFIYC
Elections are scheduled for May 2026, and Petro is not qualified to run again, having reached the two-term limit. Petro is the first leftist President Colombia has had in a long time, and under his tenure, relations with the US have been strained, particularly with Trump.
40 years is not exceptionally ‘old’ for well-maintained C-130s
The aircraft that crashed was a C-130H (# FAC-1016), delivered to Colombia by the United States in September 2020. It was formerly registered 83-0488 and was commissioned into USAF service in 1983, making it 43 years old at the time of the crash.
Following a deadly Colombian Air Force C-130 crash, the updated casualty numbers are 69 dead and 57 injured, as a total of 126 airmen were on the crashed aircraft. pic.twitter.com/RGMVFh9A1H
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 24, 2026
Key.Aero reported that the delivery of these C-130Hs enabled Colombia to retire its sole C-130B, registered FAC1001. However, it appears that the 66-year-old aircraft, which also served the US Air Force and Canadian Air Force, appears to remain in Colombian Air Force service.
Military transport aircraft typically have long service lives. Some of the original C-130As remain flying in the world, with the oldest being the 72-year-old C-130A registered 54-1631. It is now in civilian service.
New Zealand phased out its C-130Hs in 2025 as it took delivery of its new C-130Js. Those aircraft were delivered between 1965 and 1969, making them 55-60 years old by retirement.
Meanwhile, the Singapore Air Force is upgrading its 60-year-old C-130Bs to 40-year-old ex-Spanish C-130Hs and seems to plan to fly them for the next 15-20 years.
The US Air Force continues to operate many older C-130H models, with these being gradually replaced with C-130Js.
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Colombia’s Saab Gripen purchase
Petro also took to social media to defend his decision to purchase new Saab Gripens instead of the “third-hand” F-16s he says the country was offered. This is confusing, as the F-16 remains in production. An offer of second-hand F-16s could be an effort to deliver a cheaper option for Colombia.
Los aviones son comprados por una sola razón, su mantenimiento por viejos, lo hace más costoso que el avión nuevo.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 24, 2026
Por eso decidí comprar los Gripen nuevos que los F16 de tercera mano que nos ofrecían algo más baratos pero costosísimos de mantener.
En el mantenimiento está el… https://t.co/sofswCMnvo
One of the opposition presidential candidates has even asked Trump to block the sale of Gripens to Colombia until after the election.
The light-medium-weight and lower-end Saab Gripen and F-16 fighter jets have emerged as the fighter jets of choice for South America. They offer reasonable capability and are comparatively affordable to operate compared with higher-end aircraft like Rafales. The F-35 is not really considered.
Which of the two aircraft South American governments purchase appears to be largely driven by politics. Purchasing the Gripen was out of the question for Argentina due to the British veto, while the poor relations of the current leftist government in Colombia made the F-16 geopolitically infeasible.
Peru selected the Gripen, but there are reports that the military may switch to the F-16 later this year. Brazil selected the Gripen that it can assemble locally, but also considered purchasing a batch of second-hand F-16s, although that doesn’t appear to have materialised.
Separately, Argentina has taken delivery of its second-hand ex-Danish F-16s, with other Danish F-16s donated to Ukraine.
Featured Image: Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana
