2016
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A vehicle roars out of the back of an MC-130 at high speed, while nearby a man moves around in a virtual-reality headset. Above, winches are lowered and raised on a platform adorned with a Christmas tree. And at the center of it sits a former taco truck, now equipped with a really, really big gun. It’s not a fever dream of an Air Force maintainer, although it’s not far off. It’s the reality of Kirtland Air Force Base's “Monster Garage,” a key and innovative part of training airmen from the US Air Force Special Operation Command (AFSOC). During a visit to Kirtland in September, reporters accompanying Secretary of Defense Ash Carter got to tour the Garage in person, g…
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The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) marked the completion of a major upgrade of all 17 CC-130J Hercules aircraft on Oct. 18, keeping Canada’s CC-130J Hercules at the forefront of airlift operations. The 17th and last upgraded Hercules was received on Oct. 13, 2016. The modifications include significant improvements to navigation, communication, and maintenance capabilities. The Hercules model J can now fly more efficiently amongst large commercial aircraft in heavily congested and controlled airspace and perform much more fuel-efficient long-range flights. It can now also conduct approaches in poor visibility and receive critical mission information from allied groun…
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The Philippine Air Force's (PAF) fifth C-130 heavy-lift transport aircraft arrived from the United States on Sunday evening. The cargo plane, acquired through the US Excess Defense Articles program, arrived at the Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan, Cebu. The plane took off from the Davis-Monthan Air Base in Tucson, Arizona last October 6 (US time), according to a report from the Philippines News Agency. PAF spokesperson Col. Antonio Francisco released the names of the personnel who flew the aircraft: Col. Joey Inacay, mission commander; Lt. Col. Jason Rom Lacida, aircraft commander; Major Anthony Amora, test pilot and pilot-in-command; Major Meritto Jay Quija…
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Since its activation in 2002, the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing has been pivotal in the battle against violent extremism. The wing’s primary focus is delivering decisive airpower throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in order to provide stability to the region, a job that currently encompasses three separate flying missions. The wing’s traditional role in the fight has been providing tactical mobility airlift to coalition forces in the AOR. While this has been a steady, enduring mission for nearly fifteen years now, the start of Operation Inherent Resolve has brought new focus to the wing’s operations. “We’re the busiest aerial port in the t…
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The LM-100J Super Hercules (c/n 5818 ) commercial freighter is moving through pivotal production milestones, most recently completing body mate and wing installation at the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) facility here. The LM-100J is the commercial version of Lockheed Martin’s proven C-130J Super Hercules aircraft — the unmatched tactical military airlifter of choice for 17 nations. The LM-100J will perform as a commercial, multi-purpose air freighter capable of rapid and efficient cargo transport. The LM-100J Super Hercules (c/n 5818 ) commercial freighter is moving through pivotal production milestones, most recently completing body mate and wing installation…
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Currently, the U.S. Air Force is ferrying supplies to Haiti after Hurricane Matthew crippled access to the southwest region of the island and other hard-hit areas, washing out bridges and roads. Only one aircraft from the 61st Airlift Squadron went to Haiti, and provided relief. Two aircraft from the 41st Airlift Squadron remained on standby to offer support. The 61st Airlift Squadron transported personnel from the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Hurst, New Jersey, a HUMVEE and other supplies to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to support U.S. Aid operations. Air Mobility Command is tasked with providing unrivaled rapid global mobilit…
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CAPITOL HILL: The law is the law. But the law must be written and it must then be interpreted in practice. Ay, there’s the rub. Add the National Guard, local politics, aging C-130s, and a wobbly defense budget in which hard choices must be made, and you’ve got a potent mix. That became abundantly clear Wednesday afternoon during a very brief hearing of the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee. Rep. Jim Bridenstine laid into the head of Air Force acquisition, Billl LaPlante, and his colleague, Lt. Gen. James “Mike” Holmes, the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements. Holmes told the subcommittee he was “most concerned…
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The U.S. Air Force’s Hurricane Hunters, based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, have spent, by conservative estimate, more than 100 hours inside Hurricane Matthew. You may have heard of them. A Discovery Channel show featuring the unit — officially known as the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron under the 403rd Wing of the Air Force Reserves — aired for two seasons. Or maybe you haven’t heard of them. But if you’re one of 2.5 million people in four states who evacuated their homes in advance of Matthew — or one of the millions more who may be in the storm’s path, or one of the many more people nationwide who are following news of the storm, or for that…
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In dramatic fashion, a U.S. Air Force C-130J swept through the Hub City skies last week, landing in full force for the first time on the new crosswind runway at the Belen Alexander Municipal Airport. The dignitaries on the ground for the inaugural landing stood in awe with cell phones in hand pointed to the sky to capture the moment that’s been years in the making. The 58th Special Operations Wing out of Kirtland Air Force Base, along with the150th Special Operations Wing New Mexico Air National Guard unit will also use the runway. Col. Brenda Cartier, the commander of the 58th Special Operations Wing, stood on the loading ramp in the rear of the plane T…
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The 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron flew two C-130J Super Hercules into Qayyarah West Airfield, Iraq, Oct. 21, the first coalition aircraft to land on the airfield since the start of Operation Inherent Resolve. The aircraft landed mere hours after repairs to the runway were completed, a project that’s been underway since Iraqi security forces retook the airfield from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in July of this year. “It’s taken several months to plan this mission,” said Lt. Col. John Poole, the 386th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron commander. “A big part of it was since before the airfield was taken, we knew that it had been damaged significa…
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HURLBURT FIELD, FLORIDA – In the not-too-distant future, when ground troops call for close-air support, the ‘Ghostrider’ and its deadly arsenal could come to their rescue. The AC-130J Ghostrider is set to be the most heavily-armed gunship in history, bristling with 30mm and 105mm cannons, AGM-176A Griffin missiles, and the ability to carry Hellfire missiles and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs. But that’s not all. Some day in the future, the Ghostrider could even be equipped with a high-energy laser. That’s right. Lasers. When it hits the battlefield in a few short years, the Ghostrider will be the most heavily armed gunship in history – a badass plane providing…
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The Montana Air National Guard are sending the C-130's on their first large-scale deployment on Monday. Earlier this month, the 120th Airlift Wing announced that it completed the two-year conversion process to the C-130's and was ready to deploy. The C-130 Hercules aircraft and support personnel, including operations and maintenance, will travel to Southwest Asia to participate in Operation Inherent Resolve. The Montana unit participated in previous deployments as a fighter wing. Most recently they deployed F-15's to Hawaii in 2010 and Alaska in 2013. And prior to that, they deployed with F-16's to Iraq in 2004 and 2008 and to Korea in 2006.…
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More than 1,000 C-130 Hercules operators, suppliers and industry partners gathered in Atlanta, Oct. 17-20, for the 28th Hercules Operators Council hosted by Lockheed Martin. This year’s event theme was “Saluting Hercules Service Centers — Maintaining the Partnership.” During the HOC, attendees focused on the 18 Lockheed Martin-certified C-130 service centers that provide unmatched global support to C-130 and L-100 operators. The HOC environment offers worldwide Hercules community an opportunity to share insights and perspectives on pertinent C-130 topics as they apply to legacy Hercules aircraft, current production model C-130J Super Hercules and the L-100/LM-10…
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Airmen and ski-equipped aircraft from the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing have started their annual journey to Antarctica. Two ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules aircraft and 23 Airmen left Stratton Air National Guard Base on Tuesday, October 18 to participate in the wing’s 29th season supporting Operation Deep Freeze, the military component of the U.S. Antarctic Program, which is managed by the National Science Foundation. The first LC-130 to leave Stratton departed Oct. 14 and is now in Christchurch, New Zealand – the last stop before Antarctica. Two more planes are scheduled to depart Stratton within the week. Throughout the season, which runs thr…
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Israel's fourth Lockheed Martin C-130J "Samson" tactical transport arrived at an air force base in the country in mid-October. It will be followed by another two examples by the end of this year. The Israeli air force's "Elephants" squadron, which operates the new-generation Hercules, has already tested the C-130J during aerial refueling missions with a Boeing 707 tanker, and is currently testing its low-level flight capabilities using some Israeli-developed systems. As deliveries of the tactical transport continue, the air force's flight test center has completed operational testing of special systems that were installed on the US-built type for Israel. Most of…
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After 33 years of providing aerial firefighting support with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS), maintainers from the North Carolina Air National Guard’s, 145th Airlift Wing, loaded the last portable fire retardant delivery system in to the back of a C-130 belonging to the 152nd Airlift Wing to be transported to its new home with the Nevada Air National Guard, on Sept. 7, 2016. “It was a challenging, and at times demanding mission of which was highly satisfying”, said Col. Marshall Collins, commander, 145th Airlift Wing. In 2015 alone, the 145th flew 30 MAFFS sorties and over 34.9 flight hours resulting in 38 drops for a total of over 754,000 pounds o…
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Germany and France announced plans on Tuesday (Oct 4) to share an air base and transport planes as part of a military shake-up in the wake of Britain's vote to quit the European Union. The two countries signed an agreement with a view to sharing C-130J Super Hercules military transport planes, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in Paris. His German counterpart Ursula von der Leyen, in Paris to sign the deal, told reporters both countries wanted to have the new arrangement in place by 2021. France ordered four C-130Js from US company Lockheed in January. Germany was looking to acquire between four and six of the same aircraft and to base th…
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Germany is set to buy and operate four to six Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft in a joint effort with France, German reports say on Tuesday 4 October. Berlin with such a move clearly shows it doesn’t have much faith in the Airbus A400M, which is now being delivered to the German Luftwaffe at a painfully slow rate while also showing shortcomings for which Berlin seeks compensation. The Hercules aircraft are to be delivered in 2021 and based in France, according to sources. They would be fitted especially for special operations and be able to operate from unpaved runways. Signal If anything, the purchase is a clear signal to Airbus that t…
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“The conversion process is complete,” Smith said. “Today marks our first day since the end of conversion. We sent up an official memo to the Guard Bureau yesterday that we have completed our conversion and are now a fully operational C-130 wing.” Brig. Gen. Bryan Fox, Assistant Adjutant General – Air, Montana National Guard, Brig. Gen. Pete Hronek, Vice Chief of Joint Staff for the Montana National Guard, and State Command Chief Master Sgt. Tim Zumbrun were shown the progress made on the hanger construction project and the new unimproved landing zone. Smith said now that the unit has completed its conversion the Airmen of the Montana Air National Guard are able to b…
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Three C-130 Hercules aircraft are scheduled to return to the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Sation on Sunday from a deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Their arrival will signal an historic moment as it will represent the final C-130 return for the 914th Airlift Wing, ending a legacy of more than 40 years with the unit. The 914 Airlift Wing Commander, Col. Brian Bowman and families of returning military members will be waiting to welcome the Airmen as they return from a long tour of duty. There will be stations provided by Airmen and Family Readiness to entertain attendees and prepare for the historic return. "I could not be more proud of our A…
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MANILA (PNA) --- The Philippine Air Force (PAF)'s fifth Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" cargo aircraft will arrive by the last week of September, according to PAF spokesperson Araus Robert Musico in a message to the PNA Thursday. "The aircraft will arrive last week of this month. I don't have the exact date yet," he said in Filipino. The fourth C-130 arrived at the Benito Ebuen Airbase, Mactan, Cebu last April 5. It was flown by Filipino pilots headed by Col. Alejando Baclayon, Lt. Col. Ian Earth Lamzon, Major Ian Dexter Danes, Major Anthony Amora, and Major Ramil Daet. The two C-130s are worth USD61 million and were acquired through the US Excess Defense Article Program. …
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Lockheed Martin is focusing increased attention on Africa as a market for its C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft, in the face of stiff competition from the Airbus Defence C295, and the Alenia C-27J Spartan. The C-130J is an advanced new-build derivative of the original C-130A-H. Its new 4,637shp Rolls Royce AE2100D3 engines and Dowty Propellers’ six-blade R391 propellers provide dramatic all-round performance improvements, as well as reduced operating costs. The C-130J’s new engines provide 30% more power than the 4,590shp Allison T56-A-15 or Allison AN501-D22A turboprops used on the C-130 and L-100. This, in turn, ensures that the Super Hercules is 10…
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Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group is celebrating the 20th anniversary of supporting the Royal Netherlands Air Force C-130 fleet. In 1996 Marshall was awarded the contract to support the Royal Netherlands Air Force fleet of C-130H’s and throughout the development of the C-130 fleet Marshall has continued to support the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Marshall completed the CUP (Cockpit Upgrade Programme) in 2005 which was followed by the groundbreaking TACAMO contract where two ex-US Navy EC-130Qs were converted to C-130Hs which included the CUP configuration. 2006 also marked the establishment of the engineering office in Leiden, the Netherlands. Further ca…
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The group that supports Robins Air Force Base held its first meeting in nine months Thursday, and heard some potentially good news. It was the first meeting of the 21st Century Partnership under the leadership of Dan Penny, the new president. He told the members that talks are in progress for Robins to get more C-130 work. “It hasn’t been approved by the Air Force but there is somebody working on it, I can tell you that,” he said. “It will take probably at least two years for that to happen.” But he explained it in a way that sounded hopeful. Robins currently does most of the heavy maintenance on C-130s, but some of it is done at Hill Air Force Base i…
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The 50th C-130J Super Hercules empennage assembly has been delivered by a Tata-Lockheed Martin joint venture, Lockheed announced Monday. The assembly was delivered by the enterprise, known as Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited, from its Hyderabad, India, facility, the company said in a statement. The venture was established in 2010 and began producing the aircraft's components in late 2011. Lockheed said the effort follows along the lines of the Indian government's "Make in India" program and has become the single global source of C-130J empennage assemblies included on all new Super Hercules aircraft produced in Marietta, Ga. Empennage assem…
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