2015
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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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HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) -- The first AC-130J Ghostrider landed here July 29, making it Air Force Special Operations Command’s first AC-130J. After completing the initial developmental test and evaluation by the 413th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, the aircraft will be flown by the 1st Special Operations Group Detachment 2 and maintained by the 1st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron during its initial operational tests and evaluations at Hurlburt Field. “Putting it through these tests will allow us to wring out the AC-130J in a simulated combat environment, instead of the more rigid flight profiles in formal developmental testing…
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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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The 352nd Special Operations Group was redesignated as the 352nd Special Operations Wing during a ceremony held in Hangar 814 March 23. Immediately following this, the 752nd Special Operations Group and the 352nd Special Operations Maintenance Group were activated.Consisting of six squadrons and two groups, the 352nd SOW includes more than 1,200 Air Commandos and provides support to the European theater as well as other combatant commands when necessary.“We not only support Special Operations Command – Europe, but we will also support Special Operations Command – Africa, to combat the challenges we see and the struggles we have against violent extremism. And that is not g…
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The head of US Air Force Special Operations Command has issued a “JFK challenge” to the defence industry to install a high-power electric laser on an AC-130 gunship by the end of the decade. Lt Gen Bradley Heithold says just as US president John F Kennedy wanted to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s, he wants a laser-armed gunship by 2020. The commander issued the challenge at AFA’s Air & Space Conference in Washington this week. He wants the system to weigh less than 2,268kg (5,000lbs) and occupy a space no greater than one gun position on the latest AC-130J “Ghostrider” gunship. The general first announced his pursuit of a laser gunship in February, bu…
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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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US Air Force Special Operations Command wants an expendable, tube-launched small unmanned aerial vehicle for its AC-130 “battleplane” for peering beneath cloud cover to direct gunfire and precision-guided munitions. The special forces organisation, which employs a large fleet of manned gunships equipped with 30mm and 105mm cannons, is pursuing the so-called Tactical Off-board Sensor as a way of “taking the cover of weather away from the enemy”. AFSOC commander Lt Gen Bradley Heithold says the tube-launched UAV could be dropped from the back of the Lockheed Martin C-130-based gunship and orbit below the clouds. The sensor gimbal is controlled remotely from the AC-130, al…
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MALAYSIA - Members from the 353rd Special Operations Group along with members from the 36th Airlift Squadron conducted multinational and bilateral training during Joint Chief of Staff Exercise Teak Mint 15-1 in Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan, Malaysia, May 26 through June 13. “This exercise has been a great opportunity for our Airmen to learn,” said Maj. Michael S. Perry, Teak Mint 15-1 mission commander. “For the past two weeks, we had the opportunity to build a mutually beneficial relationship between U.S. and Malaysian air forces. Each group came here with a diverse perspective shaped by their unique history. I was happy to see how both countries took full advantage of buil…
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CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Members of the 27th Special Operations Wing gathered to officially retire the final AC-130H Spectre Gunship, tail number 69-6569 c/n 4343 “Excalibur,” Tuesday. Over the last two years, Air Commandos within the 16th Special Operations Squadron have bid farewell to the entire fleet of this historic aerial asset, as each of the eight aircraft have been one-by-one ceremoniously retired after 46 years of dedicated service. “Over the last 12 years, the 16th SOS has flown over 6,500 combat sorties, 26,000 combat hours and has been responsible for over 4,600 enemies killed in action, along with over 5,200 enemy captures,” said Capt. Aaron Magger,…
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Chile has acquired two C-130 Hercules from U.S. Navy stockpiles — the most significant addition of transport aircraft since the 2010 purchase of KC-135 planes. The Hercules will be delivered this year and next, according to El Mercurio. The newspaper reported the C-130s are part of the H series, the same as two others already in FACh's fleet. The purchase is confirmed in the database of Excess Defense Articles of the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which shows Chile paid $7 million for each plane. The agency's database also shows the transfers were authorized in 2012 and 2013, indicating that Chile didn't accept them until recently. The planes are listed as C-13…
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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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[ATTACH=CONFIG]4824[/ATTACH] BILOXI, MS (WLOX) - The Flying Jennies are staying in Biloxi. The Air Force has officially abandoned plans to deactivate the 815th Tactical Airlift Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, which would have transferred the squadron's 10 C-130J transport aircraft to another state. The decision was formally submitted to defense committees in Congress on Tuesday. The 815th is best known for air dropping supplies and paratroopers but can also be used to provide airlift, employment operations or aero medical evacuations. The Air Force first proposed relocating the aircraft in February 2012 as a cost cutting measure. The 815th Air Squadron em…
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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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HILL AIR FORCE BASE — The 572nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, like other squadrons within the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, sometimes does “drop-in” work on C-130 Hercules aircraft, adding them into their repair schedule where possible. On Oct. 7, the unit did a final flight check on a C-130 that literally dropped in a year before — that is, made an emergency landing on the Hill AFB runway with its nose gear stuck in the wheel well — and remained here for repairs. It all started on Aug. 17, 2014, when the crew of aircraft 92-1533, a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System C-130, belonging to the Wyoming Air National Guard, discovered its nose landing gear wouldn’t extend.…
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All clear! Another C-130 Super Herk heads south to Moody AFB. HC-130J 12-5768 c/n 5768 View the Tweet: https://twitter.com/LockheedMartin/status/598952198509338624 What do you think about the replies to Lockheed's Tweet? View full article
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[ATTACH=CONFIG]4811[/ATTACH] A British Royal Air Force C-130 Hercules (ZH867 c/n [cn]5416[/cn])has been assisting UNMISS to transport critical supplies to UN camps. It conducted over 20 flights between Entebbe, Juba and Malakal, Upper Nile State, moving on average 25 tons of cargo per day, over the last two weeks. Flying under challenging terrain conditions, a lack of air traffic radar equipment, and ongoing conflict on the ground, this is the first deployment of a UK C-130 to a UN peacekeeping operation in Africa. It has contributed enormously to the UN Air Transport Fleet by doubling its air-lift capacity. The aircraft, deployed with a support team of 13 s…
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A week after telling Congress it had a different “interpretation” of the 2015 defense authorization legislation directing the service to implement the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program, the Air Force seems to be complying. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee’s air land subcommittee on Thursday, Lt. Gen. James Holmes, deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, said there have been “meetings with [congressional] staffers” in recent weeks in which USAF agreed to do the AMP. USAF killed the program two years ago, but Congress insisted it be carried out, even threatening a 15 percent hit on USAF readiness accounts if it refused. “Our int…
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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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A U.S. Coast Guard C-130 landed safely at Kona International Airport Friday after a midair hydraulic failure led to the declaration of an emergency landing at 10:44 a.m. It was originally reported the landing gear would not come down, raising the possibility that the airplane would have to land on its belly, said FAA Southwest Region spokesman Lynn Lunsford. Firefighters responded to the airport and watched the airplane come in for a landing with gear deployed. Lunsford said there were no injuries reported. The C-130 Hercules is a transport aircraft used for multiple missions, including dropping life rafts, dewatering pumps or dispersant for oil pollution control. On …
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The Arkansas Air National Guard is close to completely taking over a new mission that has prompted growth in its number of personnel and aircraft over the past two years. The National Guard's 189th Airlift Wing, located at Little Rock Air Force Base, has trained instructors on the C-130H -- aircraft designed to airdrop troops and equipment into hostile areas -- since 1986. In October 2013, the U.S. Air Force added to the 189th's responsibilities, tasking it with training all C-130H flight crews, from the U.S. and partner nations, and bumping up the number of airmen it trains annually from about 350 to about 800. Col. Dom Sarnataro, commander of the 189th Operations Grou…
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The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a potential foreign military sale (FMS) of a C-130 fleet upgrade program and associated equipment to Pakistan.Under the estimated $100m sale, Pakistan has requested a possible sale of C-130B/E avionics upgrades, engine management and mechanical upgrades, cargo delivery system installation, and the replacement of outer wing sets on six military transport aircraft.The package also includes spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, US Government and contractor technical and logistics support services, and other relat…
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MANILA, Philippines – United States Ambassador Philip Goldberg on Monday said there are two C-130 planes anticipated to be delivered in the country in the first quarter of 2016. “We help support Philippine modernization through excess defense articles, there are two more C-130s in the pipeline,” Goldberg said during the turnover and commissioning of eight brand new Bell-412EPs and two attack versions of AgustaWestland AW-109E. Goldberg added that US government also supports the Philippine military modernization through its foreign military funding which was pegged at $50 million in 2014. With the anticipated mission-ready C-130s from the US, the Philippine Air Forc…
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It’s been a busy year for the mighty Hercules. Despite the Air Force’s push for a toned-down Avionics Modernization Program (AMP), there have been a number of significant upgrades and modifications. In April 2015, a bill was introduced and referred to the Committee on Armed Services relating to the modernization of C-130 aircraft to meet applicable Federal Aviation Administration regulations. New upgrades will include 8.33-Khz radios, cockpit video recorders, flight visual recorders, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), enhanced Mode S, and enhanced traffic alert and avoidance systems. At $3.8 million per plane versus $20 million per plane under AMP, the A…
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Cascade aerospace celebrated the 100th delivery of a CC-130 Hercules aircraft to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) following scheduled maintenance on 7 April.The delivery was made from the company's Abbotsford, British Columbia base. The CC-130 will return to service as a long-range, fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft. This marks a major milestone for Cascade's multi-year contract with the RCAF as the prime contractor for programme management, engineering, maintenance, materiel and technical support for the CC-130 fleet. Canada's fleet of CC-130 Hercules, also known as the C-130 Hercules, is used for multi-mission roles including troop transport, tactical airlift, s…
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Cascade Aerospace has completed a first test flight of the Mexican Air Force's (FAM) upgraded C-130K Hercules aircraft from its base in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. In November 2013, the company received a contract as part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Canadian and Mexican Governments, for maintenance and modernization of FAM's two C-130K aircraft. The C-130K maintenance and modernization program was initiated in 2014. It involved an upgrade of the avionics system. including the installation and integration of Rockwell Collins Flight 2 avionics suite, digital fuel quantity indication, and engine instrument display systems. The aircr…
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