The United States has delivered another C-130H Hercules military transport aircraft to Botswana as part of efforts to strengthen defence cooperation and enhance the country’s strategic airlift capabilities.
The US Embassy in Botswana described the delivery as a significant milestone in the long-standing relationship between both countries, saying the aircraft would improve Botswana’s ability to respond to military, humanitarian and emergency operations.
The aircraft was provided through the Excess Defence Articles (EDA) programme, an initiative managed by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) that allows partner countries to receive surplus military equipment.
The move followed an earlier announcement by US Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, Kelli L. Seybolt, during her visit to Botswana in May 2026, where she confirmed that the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) had been selected to receive additional aircraft support.
Botswana had previously received a C-130H Hercules from the United States in 2024, with the aircraft valued at about $30 million. The delivery was intended to support operations within Botswana and across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
The United States had also notified Congress of plans to transfer two additional C-130H aircraft to Botswana, each estimated to be worth $12 million.
The Botswana Defence Force has operated C-130 aircraft for decades, beginning with the acquisition of three C-130B Hercules aircraft for its Z10 Squadron through a partnership programme involving the US National Guard Bureau.
Since 1997, the aircraft have played a key role in Botswana’s air operations, supporting national missions, regional security efforts and international deployments.
The fleet has contributed to SADC operations in Mozambique, African Union missions and United Nations activities in Sudan, while also supporting joint military exercises and security cooperation programmes.
Earlier this year, the United States provided more than 12,000 spare parts to support the maintenance of the C-130H aircraft previously delivered to Botswana, including technical components and specialised repair equipment.
