The Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Co (Gamco) has been appointed as authorised service centre of Lockheed Martin Hercules aircraft for military C-130 and civilian L100-30 for more than 16 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The agreement covers the UAE, Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Tunisia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Botswana, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand and some other countries.

Lockheed Martin's team surveyed the Gamco facility in November, 2001 and Gamco was subsequently appointed authorised service centre since it has all facilities, ground support equipment, tools, highly qualified technical team, excellent technical support services and high quality measures within Gamco, a statement said yesterday.

The agreements for both military and civilian versions of C-130 aircraft were signed by the two companies in January 2001.

The certificate and the plaque of the service centre were presented to Ahmed Hassan, manager, military sales of Gamco, by James Brandt, president, Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Support Co, during the 2002 HOC (Hercules Operators Conference) in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 14.