The Royal Canadian Air Force's CC-130J Hercules tactical airlift aircraft is set to undergo electronic warfare testing at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California, US.

Canada aims to replace its CC-130H aircraft fleet with the J model.

Testing on the aircraft will be carried out at the Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF), an anechoic chamber located at the AFB, to determine the electromagnetic compatibility of the CC-130J's systems.

Canada Department of National Defense radar warfare engineer Emil Poliakov said: "The chamber allows us to execute multiple test objectives in a controlled-repeatable manner and collect data to evaluate the radar warning receiver's technical performance and effectiveness."

The electronic warfare test data will be shared with partner nations as part of an agreement, called the multinational test and evaluation programme, signed last year between the US, Canada, UK and Australia.

Poliakov further added: "This agreement provides an unprecedented access to the partnering nations' EW trials and data.

"This agreement provides an unprecedented access to the partnering nations' EW trials and data."

"The CC-130J trial at the BAF is the first time the agreement has been used since it was officially signed in 2015. We invited representatives from the UK and Australia to witness this trial and will share all of the results with our allies."

A team of engineers, operators and defence scientists conducted several tests to examine the ALR-56M radar warning receiver, as well as its integration with the rest of the defensive electronic warfare suite and aircraft mission computer.

The CC-130J brought to Edwards AFB is from 8 Wing located at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ontario.

Canada purchased 17 CC-130Js in total, with the last delivered in 2012 for tactical airlift of troops and supplies.

Image: A Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130J tactical airlift aircraft in the Benefield Anechoic Facility. Photo: courtesy of US Air Force photo / Kenji Thuloweit.