Orders won by British companies working on the new C-130J Hercules aircraft have risen to more than £120m, according to the US group, Lockheed Martin.

The C-130J is the latest version of the Hercules, the world's most widely used tactical and humanitarian relief aircraft.

More than £470m has been invested in the UK since production began in 1990

British industry started work on the aircraft in the early 1990s with a partnership between three companies, including Lockheed Martin.

Since then, the number of UK companies manufacturing the plane has grown to 50 and between them they have won orders worth more than £470m.

Customers with firm orders for the plane include the Italian airforce, the RAF, the Royal Australian Air Force, the US Air Force and the US Marine Corps.

The aircraft's new propulsion system is largely produced by British companies, including Dowty Aerospace, GKN Westland, Lucas Aerospace and Rolls-Royce.

Other equipment and services developed and manufactured in Britain for the C-130J include assembly tooling, crew seats, reflecting glass for the pilots' head-up displays, software, digital maps, air data computers, air-to-air refuelling equipment and simulators for training air and ground crews.

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