2015
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Numerous American service members have been suspended from duty due to misconduct that led to the Oct. 3 bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, which killed 30 people, U.S. military officials said Wednesday. A six-week investigation into the bombing placed the bulk of the blame on the crew of the AC-130 gunship that opened fire on the hospital, along with the U.S. Special Operations Forces commander overseeing the battle in Kunduz, officials said. “Those individuals most closely associated with the incident have been suspended from their duties, pending consideration and disposition of administrative and disciplinary matter…
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WASHINGTON — Six U.S. service members and five contractors were killed in a C-130 crash at Jalalabad Airport in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said late Thursday. The crash, which occurred just after midnight Friday Afghanistan time, involved a C-130J assigned to the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, which is part of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing. The airport at Jalalabad, located about 100 miles east of Kabul, is used only for military and United Nations flights. In a post online, the Taliban claimed they had shot down the aircraft, killing 15 “invaders” plus several Afghan “hirelings.” However, U.S. Air Force Maj. Tony Wickman, a spokesman for the 455th said, “Enemy f…
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France formally decided to order four C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the US, marking a major step toward filling a pressing need for tactical transport and in-flight refueling, two French defense specialists said. "Our defense minister has just authorized the purchase of four US C-130Js," one of the sources said Dec. 15. That key decision was taken at a Dec. 15 meeting of the ministerial investment committee and clears the way for French officials to negotiate a purchase and speedy delivery under a foreign military sale deal, the second source said. The sources declined to give their names as they were not cleared for briefing on a subject …
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MARIETTA, Ga., Dec. 21, 2015 – U.S. Air Force crews recently ferried two additional C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) facility here. These aircraft are a C-130J-30 Super Hercules assigned to Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, and an HC-130J Combat King II assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Maj. Gen. Rowayne A. “Wayne” Schatz, Jr., vice commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, flew the C-130J to Little Rock Air Force Base on Dec. 17. Schatz is a command pilot with experience in C-130 E and H models. A U.S. Air Force crew from Moody Air Force Base ferried the HC-130J to its new home on…
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Of the two contracts announced 30 December, one concludes negotiations for the $5.3 billion multiyear II contract that has been under discussion for almost two years, with money down now for the first 32 of 78 total aircraft. That $1 billion order includes 13 C-130J-30 Super Hercules, and five HC-130J Combat King IIs used by the air force for personnel recovery and training. A further 11 multi-mission MC-130J Commando IIs are being procured for special operations and conversion into AC-130J “Ghostrider” gunships. Two more are KC-130J refuelers, and one HC-130J is being purchased for US Coast Guard operations. Those aircraft will deliver through 2020, acc…
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A major contract to maintain the Royal Air Force’s fleet of US-made Hercules aircraft has been awarded to British companies, safeguarding 1,200 UK jobs. The bulk of the £369m deal to extend the life of the four-engine transport aeroplanes until 2030 will go to Cambridge-based Marshall Aerospace and Defense Group. Under the terms of the six-year contract, about 1,100 jobs around Cambridge servicing the C-130J aircraft, which carry troops and cargo, will be protected. A further 100 jobs at Rolls-Royce, which will maintain the aircrafts’ engines, and at the UK arm of Lockheed Martin, which will manage the supply chain of parts needed,…
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When it comes to skydiving, Red Bull Air Force team member Jeff Provenzano has got a lot of experience. But jumping out of an airplane while sitting on a living room couch playing video games is one thing he's yet to try. Until now. In his latest stunt, for technology company NVIDIA (they manufacture the kind of computer chips that make smartphones possible, as well producing gaming platforms) Provenzano looks so calm and collected, he could almost take a nap, but instead he focuses on the screen in front of him. We've been told that no less than three living rooms were dropped out of the sky in the filming of this video, but we…
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When Lockheed designed the C-130 Hercules in Marietta in the 1950s, company engineer Kelly Johnson said they would be lucky to sell a hundred. In 2015, Tony Frese, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and deputy program manager of C-130 Programs, delivered number 2,500. “Here we are 60 years later,” said Frese. “So we always are quite thankful that Kelly Johnson, a brilliant man, got that one piece wrong.” That engineer, Johnson, was working on sleek reconnaissance jets. The Hercules, by comparison, is clunky, with large propellers, a heavy tail and a belly big enough to fit a bulldozer. But that’s been the massive transport plane’s secret…
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Investigators declared the first prototype AC-130J Ghostrider gunship a total loss after the airframe was severely overstressed after departing controlled flight during a test sortie from Eglin AFB, Fla., officials announced. As a result of the incident, "the mishap aircraft exceeded its design limit load to an extent that rendered it unsafe for flight and is considered a total loss to the Air Force," according to Air Force Materiel Command's Accident Investigation Board report, released on Nov. 6. The crew was performing a high-angle, side-slip at Eglin AFB, Fla., during handling tests of the developmental gunship when the aircraft departed controlled flight at 15,000 f…
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The Air Force Reserve has responded to allegations that the 440th Airlift Wing was being inactivated through attrition. The allegations arose earlier this month, after members of the unit said they felt they were being hidden ahead of Operation Toy Drop, a large airborne operation that's part multinational training exercise, part toy drive. Airmen and civilian officials close to them alleged the Air Force was discouraging members of the unit from speaking out against the 440th's pending inactivation and going behind Congress' back in making the unit unable to complete its mission to support Fort Bragg soldiers. The allegatio…
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MARIETTA, Ga., Dec. 11, 2015 – Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) delivered the 2,500th C-130 Hercules from its production line here today. This landmark Hercules is an HC-130J Combat King II personnel recovery aircraft assigned to the U.S. Air Force’s 71st Rescue Squadron, which is part of the 347th Rescue Group. A U.S. Air Force crew ferried the HC-130J to its new home at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia. “This milestone delivery is a source of pride for our team and the global C-130 community,” said George Shultz, vice president and general manager, C-130 Programs at Lockheed Martin. “The Hercules is a global asset and versatile workhorse that is truly without e…
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The implications are tremendous. The C-130 Air Force Special Operations Command Acceleration Plan now being worked in the 560th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron directly affects current world events. "Just look at the news. It will get you on board with this," said Mike Smith, AFSOC Acceleration Plan team lead. "This aircraft directly affects what happens on the news. "These planes get beat up and they're used, so it's very important for us to step up the plate," he added. "These mechanics have bought into it to get these aircraft back to the warfighter as quickly as we can." The plan will also transform the way programmed depot maintenance operations are …
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An acquisition of secondhand Super Hercules C-130Js flown by the British Royal Air Force was one of the options considered by France, which seeks to buy four C-130 transport planes to boost support for troops deployed across sub-Saharan Africa, two defense sources said. The Direction Générale de l'Armement procurement office "raised at the start of December" the option, which sparked some surprise, a French defense specialist said. Britain, which was launch customer for the Super Hercules, is looking to sell the first 10 acquired and hold on to the remaining 14 planes. "The British C-130Js are an option for France," said US Army Col. John "Walt" Kennedy,…
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The U.S. Air Force has awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $29.6 million contract to install MXF-626K VHF Communications Systems on 178 C-130H Hercules aircraft. The upgrade ensures C-130 radios comply with newly adopted European Air Traffic Management requirements by providing 8.33 kilohertz (kHz) channel spacing in the range of 118 to 137 megahertz (MHz). "In today's complex battlespace, reliable communications is more important than ever before," said Scott Whatmough, vice president of Integrated Communications Systems for Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems business. "Our focus is on ensuring Hercules operators can communicate freely, reliably and secu…
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It's the Department of Defense's longest-running humanitarian airlift operation, and today marks the first time in history the operation was conducted in collaboration with international partners. It's a mission that takes the spirit of giving to new heights. Brigadier General Andrew Toth, commander of the 36th Air Wing said, "Operation Christmas Drop is truly a special mission on Andersen Air Force Base, and is certainly very close to our heart here in the 36th Wing. Operating since 1952 the operation provides critical supplies, educational material, and toys to low-lying islands and atolls. The humanitarian aid and disaster relief operation also provides low-…
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Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) Bedek group will make an unsolicited proposal for the supply of four upgraded Lockheed Martin C-130Es to the French air force. Sources in France confirm that they expect to receive a proposal from IAI. France's DGA defense procurement agency recently issued a request for proposals for the purchase and modification of four C-130s to Marshall Aerospace and Defense Group, Ogma and Sabena Technics. According to the request, the French air force wants to acquire four C-130s in an operational condition, and with center wing boxes that will allow another them to log another 20-30 years of use. Two of the Hercules must be equip…
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Next week, the Transport Formation will begin one of the most significant steps in the absorption of advanced Hercules planes: Two Hercules squadrons that have worked together for over four decades will merge into one single Hercules squadron in the force. Welcome to the "Hercules" family Shani Pomes The IAF's Formation of Hercules C-130 planes is facing a significant change: Two sister squadrons that have operated for almost four decades side by side will merge into once united squadron this week. The "Yellow Bird" squadron will be taking people from the "Elephant" squadron, and in fact will be the only one in the IAF that will operate the old Hercul…
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Two of the world’s biggest bushfire-fighting aircraft have landed on Victorian soil ahead of what is expected to be a scorching summer. The C-130 Hercules and the RJ85 are among the 47 water bombers that have been brought in from overseas for the bushfire season. They will join another 100 aircraft in the $23.3 million bushfire defence fleet that can be called on to fight blazes this summer. Minister for Emergency Services Jane Garrett inspected the fleet at Avalon Airport and said the aircraft were key to keeping Victorians safe. “The large air tankers are game-changers when it comes to fighting bushfires,’’ she said. “The air…
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WASHINGTON — Air Force Special Operations command is working with the Navy to leverage lessons learned from the deployment of a shipboard laser weapon system to inform the development of a miniaturized version that could be mounted on an AC-130 gunship. The Air Force plans to install a high-energy laser on the Lockheed Martin special operations gunship by 2020, AFSOC chief Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold said Dec. 3. Heithold announced the pursuit earlier this year, but gave additional details during a presentation at the Association of Old Crows annual symposium in Washington, including the test aircraft to be used in the program. “I believe that we can put a…
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November 30, 2015 (by TSgt. Emerson Marcus) - For the second time in its history the 152nd Airlift Wing has upgraded its entire fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft just as the U.S. Air Force seeks total fleet modernization in the face of nearing federal upgrade deadlines. “It is a significant upgrade and it should help increase mission capability with more reliable equipment,” said Col. Karl Stark, commander of the 152nd. By early 2016, the 152nd — known as the “High Rollers” of the Nevada Air National Guard — will have acquired each of its six C-130 H3 models and two H2.5 models. These models are about a decade newer with nearly 10,000 f…
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An Air Force AC-130 Special Operations Command gunship may have carried out the strike in Afghanistan that allegedly hit a Doctors Without Borders hospital in the embattled northern city of Kunduz, killing at least 22, including 12 staffers. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who was traveling in Europe to NATO meetings, called the attack a "tragic incident" but stopped short of an apology. Carter and U.S. military officials in Afghanistan and the Pentagon have yet to specify the type of aircraft that carried out the airstrike but the Washington Post, CNN and other news outlets cited a U.S. official in Afghanistan as saying that it was a ground attack AC-130. In a statem…
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American forces made one of their most effective hits against the Islamic State on Nov. 15, when U.S. planes destroyed 116 tanker trucks used by the terrorist organization to transport the stolen oil that is its financial lifeblood. American A-10 and C-130 warplanes targeted a group of about 300 trucks near Abu Kamal, in Syria. Given that the Islamic State is thought to have just over 1,000 trucks in its entire fleet, the group of 300 represented a huge target for U.S. planes. At a Pentagon news conference last Wednesday, reporters wanted to know why American forces did not take out more than 116 trucks. Why not all 300, or something close to that? A U.S…
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C-130 News: Afghan Air Force achieves milestone: first-ever all-Afghan C-130 training flight
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An all Afghan-led Afghan Air Force C-130 crew reached a major milestone on their path to sustainability Nov. 5, 2015, at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan. An Afghan aircrew walked out to their C-130 and briefed in preparation for their first-ever all-Afghan C-130 training sortie. After the briefing, the crew started engines and taxied out while being marshalled by an Afghan maintainer. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Michael Morales/released) The Afghan Air Force achieved a major milestone on their path to sustainability Nov. 5 at Hamid Karzai International Airport. That morning, an Afghan aircrew walked out to their C-130 and bri…
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CHEYENNE, Wyo. - By the end of October 2015, Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing, will return to its original fleet of eight C-130 aircraft, losing four that it gained nine years ago. In 2006, the 153rd Airlift Wing welcomed the 30th Airlift Squadron to its ranks, making it the first guard-based unit in the U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command to gain an active duty associate unit. With the active-associate, came personnel, missions, and four aircraft, upping the size of the Cheyenne-based unit's C-130 fleet to 12. Lt. Col. Todd Davis, 153rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander, is overseeing the C-130 transfers from Cheyenne to the Nevad…
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of for Lockheed Martin C-130J transports and associated equipment to France. The proposed deal under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program -- administered by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency -- would be worth an estimated $650 million. In addition to two C-120Js and two KC-130Js with Rolls-Royce AE-2100 engines, France's shopping list includes spare engines, AN/ALE 47 electronic counter-measure dispensers, AN/AAR-47A(V)2 missile warning systems, AN/ALR-56M radar warning receivers, embedded Global Positioning/Inertial Navigation systems, and radios. "It…
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