The federal government has conditionally sold ten CC-130H Hercules aircraft to Coulson Aviation (Canada) Ltd. of Port Alberni, British Columbia, giving the retired military transports a second life as aerial firefighting platforms.

The deal

Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement), announced the sale today on behalf of Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement. Coulson plans to convert, maintain and operate the aircraft for wildfire response once they clear Transport Canada certification for civil use.

The ten aircraft come from a fleet of 12 CC-130H Hercules the Royal Canadian Air Force retired in January 2026. The remaining two will go on public display at bases and museums across the country instead of returning to service.

The sale runs through GCMil, the Public Services and Procurement Canada group that handles surplus military asset sales on National Defence's behalf. It remains conditional on completed contractual arrangements and Transport Canada regulatory approval. Ottawa is keeping the selling price and bid details confidential.

Why it matters

Canada's wildfire seasons have grown longer and more destructive, and provinces are competing for a limited pool of aerial firefighting aircraft. Retired Hercules airframes are a known quantity for large-scale water and retardant drops, and Coulson already has experience converting former military aircraft for exactly this kind of work.

For the government, the sale checks two boxes at once. Retired aircraft that would otherwise sit in storage or head to museums instead get a working second life, and a Canadian aerospace company picks up the conversion and maintenance contract rather than a foreign competitor.

What officials are saying

Lightbound framed the sale as both an industrial and emergency-response win. "Through the conditional sale of these retired Hercules aircraft to a Canadian company with world-class expertise, we are ensuring that valuable military assets continue to serve Canadians," he said, adding that the deal "supports good jobs, strengthens our aerospace sector and enhances Canada's ability to respond to wildfires and other emergencies."

Fuhr tied the sale to the government's broader approach to surplus military equipment. "Responsible asset divestment can allow military assets to continue to protect Canadians while creating new opportunities for Canadian industry," he said. "Coulson Aviation's planned conversions will extend the operational life of these aircraft and support emergency response capabilities, including crucial aerial firefighting missions."

Next steps

Coulson still needs to complete contractual arrangements with GCMil and secure Transport Canada certification before any of the ten Hercules can fly firefighting missions. No timeline for certification or entry into service was included in today's announcement.