2015
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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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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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HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- The first AC-130U Spooky gunship to retire from the active fleet flew from its home here following a small ceremony Sept. 21. The gunship, named "Bad Omen," was delivered to Hurlburt Field Feb. 17, 1995. Following the ceremony, "Bad Omen" flew to it's retirement home with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Base, Ariz. "'Bad Omen' flew more than 2,300 sorties with approximately 5,600 landings and accumulated more than 10,000 hours," said Karl Cirulis, 4th Special Operations Squadron pilot. "'Bad Omen' was last deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in December 2013 where it accumulated approximately 600 …
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NEW YORK — L-3 Communications has been competitively awarded a $30 million contract from the U.S. Coast Guard to missionize two C-130J aircraft using a next-generation mission system suite, the company announced in an Oct. 8 release. The total value of the contract, with all options exercised, is approximately $93 million and work will be performed by L-3 Platform Integration in Waco, Texas. The government-owned mission system was developed jointly by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy and is operated across multiple platforms. Under the five-year contract, L-3 will integrate mission systems on two baseline configuration C-130J long-range surveillance aircraft. The …
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Elbit Systems and IAI have given the C-130 Hercules a facelift with new radar and digital screens and a replace main wing. The legendary C-130 Hercules airplanes have undergone a facelift. With technology from defense electronics company Elbit Systems Ltd. and Isreal Aerospace Industries Ltd., the upgraded aircraft has new radar and digital screens, and a replaced main wing, which are just part of the improvements that will keep the heritage planes flying for at least another decade. The first improved plane has taken off from Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel. The first improved C-130 Karnaf (Hebrew for Rhino) heavy transport airplane has taken to the air after a long …
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Spirit Aeronautics has successfully developed an avionics upgrade program that is aimed at modernising Lockheed C-130H/L-382 Hercules aircraft. The new development will give the aircraft new landing technology in addition to NextGen capabilities such as automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B). ADS-B can be integrated with flight management systems (FMS) in order to deliver increased safety and reduced aircrew workload, the company stated. Spirit Aeronautics president and COO Tony Bailey said: "We established a team of experts and centered their efforts towards creating a modernisation path for operators that utilise commercially available and proven systems …
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WASHINGTON — The Air Force has awarded Rolls-Royce a $36 million contract to begin upgrading its fleet of C-130 transport planes, the company announced. The contract will kick off what is expected to be a long-running agreement with the Air Force to upgrade the entire fleet of 400 C-130E and C-130H engines with Rolls-Royce’s T56 Series 3.5 kits. Deliveries of the upgrade packages will begin in December, and will introduce the engine improvements into Air Force and US Air National Guard C-130s, according to an Oct. 20 company news release. The Series 3.5 upgrade, which was designed and funded by Rolls-Royce, enables the engines to operate at low temperatures, extends pa…
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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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MANSFIELD, Ohio -- The Spirit of Crestline was unveiled Thursday, emblazoned with pride along the side of a C-130 Hercules at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport. The emblem was painted over the aircrew door as a tribute from the 179th Airlift Wing to the village. "We are taking the airplanes and dedicating all eight of them to the local communities who have supported us all through our ups and downs," said Lt. Col. Patty Barr, the Maintenance Group Deputy Commander. Crestline is the seventh of eight communities in the area to be honored by the 179th. Mansfield, Lexington, Shelby, Ontario, Ashland and the Clear Fork Valley (representing Butler and Bellville) have all earne…
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The 165th Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard received the first of eight C-130 Hercules aircraft upgrades Thursday. The C-130 Hercules, which primarily performs the tactical portion of the airlift mission, is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport for airdropping troops and equipment into hostile areas. The 165th Airlift Wing will replace its eight C-130H2s with two C-130H2.5 and six C-130H3 that are approximately 15 years newer. The newer aircraft are expected to replace the current fleet by the end of 2016. “Basically, we’re getting a newer model of the C-130. With the replacements, we are gaining enhance…
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PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing has been selected as the recipient of the Airlift/Tanker Association's 2015 Lieutenant General James E. Sherrard III award. According to award information on the Airlift/Tanker Association web site, the Sherrard Award recognizes the Air Force Reserve Command's outstanding wing or group contributing to the overall success of the Mobility Air Force mission and the total force. Additionally, the unit that best embodies the spirit and essence of today's global mobility operations, maintaining a viable strategic reserve for tomorrow while embracing responsibilities to their civilian emplo…
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MANSFIELD, Ohio -- Community pride was on display Thursday during the 179th Airlift Wing's dedication ceremony that paid tribute to the City of Galion. The local unit of the Ohio Air National Guard invited members of the Galion community to see the new "Spirit of Galion" emblem painted above the aircrew door of a C-130 Hercules. All eight of the 179th's C-130s have been dedicated to a local community, including Ashland, Clear Fork Valley (representing Bellville and Butler), Crestline, Galion, Lexington, Mansfield, Ontario and Shelby. Lt. Col. Patty Barr, the Maintenance Group Deputy Commander, said the dedications are meant to show the unit's ap…
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The US Air Force's (USAF) 86th and 182nd Airlift Wings are participating in bilateral training with the Polish Air Force at Powdiz Air Base, Poland, focusing on maintaining joint readiness while building interoperability. Conducted during Aviation Detachment 16-1 in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, the training saw the participation of C-130s from both wings along with around 150 personnel. Polish Air Force 33rd Air Transport Base commander colonel Mieczyslaw Gaudyn said: "It's important for us to work together and reach a similar level of training." "It's also important for us to build this friendship and brotherhood, to be able to count …
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Iraqi authorities detained a Canadian military aircraft for three days in Baghdad two weeks ago because of problems with its cargo. The Department of National Defence confirmed in an emailed statement that a CC-130 Hercules was denied onward movement to the Iraqi-Kurdish capital Erbil by government authorities at the Baghdad International Airport on Oct. 28. The aircraft was flying in support of Operation Impact, the Canadian Forces’ operation against ISIS, and was eventually allowed to return to Kuwait on Oct. 31. Citing security reasons, National Defence didn’t provide many details on the cargo, saying only that it was an “issue with customs d…
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Lockheed Martin Corp has been awarded a contract worth nearly $969 million to build 17 C-130J military transport aircraft, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. The work is expected to be completed by April 2020, the Department of Defense said in its daily digest of major contract awards. Last month, Lockheed announced that it had reached a verbal agreement with the U.S. Air Force for a five-year contract to build up to 83 C-130 J Super Hercules transport planes for the Air Force, Coast Guard and Marine Corps through 2020. Lockheed has sold C-130J transport planes to 16 countries, and 330 of the turboprop planes have been delivered or are currently on o…
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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