2016
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The Marine Corps intends to add improved sensors and precision-strike capability to its entire KC-130J Super Hercules tanker/transport plane and MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor fleets, applying the “Harvest Hawk” concept to make both aircraft more multi-mission, the deputy commandant of the Marine Corps for aviation told USNI News this week. Lt. Gen. Jon Davis said the Marines’ next aviation plan would include upgrading all 79 C-130Js into Harvest Hawk-capable platforms. The Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit (HAWK) includes both modifications to the plane – the installation of a new MX-20 sensor ball with a laser designator on the nose of the plane, and the Intrepid Tiger ele…
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Lockheed Martin recently delivered two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft: one HC-130J long range surveillance/search and rescue aircraft to the U.S. Coast Guard and an MC-130J Commando II Special Operations tanker to the U.S. Air Force. The Coast Guard’s HC-130J was originally delivered in 2015 and received post-production modifications at Lockheed Martin’s Greenville, South Carolina, facility. It was ferried from Greenville on May 10 by a Coast Guard crew. The MC-130J was ferried from here today by a U.S. Air Force crew. It is assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The C-130 Hercules is the standard for tactical airlif…
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Members of Congress are moving forward on attempts to protect the training of Fort Bragg paratroopers, even as Air Force leaders say they are on track to increase their support to Fort Bragg when compared with last year. Reps. Renee Ellmers and Richard Hudson have filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would create additional congressional oversight when it comes to airborne operations on Fort Bragg, to ensure the Air Force is providing the promised support. The House version of that bill already includes a provision aimed at protecting funding for the Global Response Force, which is largely composed of the 82nd A…
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Airmen at Fort Bragg are preparing to bid farewell to their C-130H cargo planes, days after the Air Force notified Congress they would move forward on shuttering the installation's lone airlift wing. Crews are pouring over each of the eight planes belonging to the 440th Airlift Wing, which is slated to be inactivated by the end of September. "It's a very emotional process for everyone involved," said Col. Sharon Johnson, commander of the 440th Maintenance Group. With the unit's inactivation later this year, Johnson said the process of transferring the aircraft has been accelerated. In the coming weeks, officials expect the planes to be moved to their new ho…
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All eight of the C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft assigned to the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, took to the air for a historic event May 14. The mission was designed to validate the standards tactical airlift units are required to maintain for mass airdrop capabilities. The timing of event was also important. "We only have all of our (aircraft) here from temporary duty and deployments for about two weeks out of the year," said Col. Paul Lyman, 153rd Airlift Wing commander, adding that the event was historic and very much a team effort. "Every member of the 153rd Airlift Wing played a part," he said. Aside from the obvious participants, due to the s…
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The aircraft served as an integral part of the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard. It will be displayed alongside many vehicles of historical significance. These include an F-15 Eagle, an all-weather air superiority fighter; an F-4 Phantom II, one of the most versatile fighters ever built; a WWII Sherman tank, named after Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman; a Vietnam Sheridan tank, an amphibious light tank; a Bell AH-1 Cobra, an attack helicopter that entered combat in September 1967; and an armored Hammerhead, a tank destroyer. "This aircraft was one of the first made in April 1957 at Lockheed's Marietta, Ga. plant. It has seen service all over the world,…
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82nd Airborne Division Commander Maj. Gen. Richard Clark has settled a lawsuit between the Fort Bragg-based paratrooper division and Lockheed-Martin. The 82nd Airborne will pay the defense contractor more than $7 million to settle royalty claims over the use of the trademarked term “C-130” in running cadences, including hundreds of expected recitations of the cadence during the division’s annual “All-American Week” run today. DOD Officials were alarmed when the 82nd Airborne Division racked up almost $1 million in unpaid fees during last year’s All-American week, as the legendary running cadence was sung by every single company in the 15,000-man division for the enti…
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Cascade Aerospace is in the process of delivering Lockheed Martin CC-130J Hercules to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) following upgrade to the latest Block 7.0 configuration. All 17 of the RCAF’s fleet are undergoing the modification. The first was completed by Cascade in February to become the first Block 7.0 modification to be completed outside of an OEM or government facility. The final upgraded aircraft should be back in service by October, at which time Canada will have become the first nation to fully upgrade its fleet. Block 7.0 adds 29 distinct capabilities to the C-130J, including a Link 16 tactical datalink that enhances situational awareness …
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Wings were recently installed on the first C-130J Super Hercules assigned to Yokota Air Base, Japan, at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility in Marietta, which is home to the C-130 production line. Yokota AB will receive 14 C-130Js as it recapitalizes its existing C-130H fleet, which are operated by the 374th Airlift Wing. This C-130J is expected to deliver to the U.S. Air Force by end of 4th Quarter 2016. The 374 AW includes four groups: operations, mission support, maintenance and medical. Each group manages several squadrons in order to carry out the wing's mission. Yokota has been home to C-130s since it first hosted the 345th Tactical Airlift Squadron in 19…
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The contracting process for modernizing C-130H transports of the Portuguese Air Force has been authorized by Minister of National Defense José Alberto Azeredo Lopes. "The modernization program of the C-130H is essential to meet the requirements of the European Single Sky regulations, as well as for support and modernization of these aircraft," the Ministry of National Defense quoted Azeredo Lopes. The Portuguese Air Force operates five C-130s, which are essential for military operations and in various missions of public interest. The ministry said the upgrading of the aircraft has a projected completion date of 2023 and that about $32.3 million has been bud…
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According to Israeli publication Haaretz, The Israel Defence Forces will be receiving another three Super Hercules transport planes by the end of 2016, supplementing the three aircraft it already has at its Nevatim airbase. In 2014, Haaretz reported that the Israel Air Force had reached agreement to buy one additional Hercules and was considering buying three. Each plane cost $75 million. The new and improved Super Hercules is considered particularly well suited for special air force missions. It can carry heavier cargo than previous Hercules models and can fly at lower altitudes. It can carry 128 passengers or four motor vehicles and, in a different configura…
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A lack of flight test data was a contributing factor in an April 2015 accident that led to an AC-130J nosediving 5,000 feet in an inverted position before the pilots could recover, according to an Air Force Accident Investigation Board. The flight datacould have helped the pilots better understand the limits of the aircraft’s handling while performing tight maneuvers. But defense contractor Lockheed Martin declined to provide the proprietary information without a contract, and the Air Force decided not to purchase it, according to the report. The AC-130J was being tested by the 413th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The crew was performing …
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The notice was short, but a community dedicated to Blue Angels still came out in force for a proper homecoming. On Thursday night, thousands took to areas of Escambia County to watch as a Marine Corps C-130 Hercules, known as "Fat Albert," returned the remains of Opposing Solo Captain Jeff Kuss to Naval Air Station Pensacola. "The way he handled what he did, he's a hero," Rick Stratmann said. "No doubt about it." From Palafox Street to Pensacola Beach, eyes turned to the sky waiting for the aerial show. A beach full of people were quick to grab the edges of the American flag, a display from the ground to tribute those flying overhead. While they held on to …
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C-130 News: YARS’ C-130H aircraft need to be either updated or replaced with new C-130J models
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U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman announced Tuesday that the Senate passed their joint amendment to the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act to strengthen the Youngstown Air Reserve Station and its mission capabilities. Specifically, the amendment directs the Air Force to report on how it will prioritize upgrades to provide new C-130J aircraft for facilities that include special mission units, such as aerial spray, airborne firefighting and weather reconnaissance. The 910th is the Department of Defense’s only large-area, fixed-wing aerial spray unit. Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, and Portman, a Cincinnati-area Republican, have been urging th…
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For the first time ever, a Royal Canadian Air Force plane has entered the Benefield Anechoic Facility. A team of engineers, operators and defense scientists from Canada, are wrapping up electronic warfare testing of an RCAF CC-130J Hercules transport plane. Canada is updating its fleet of legacy CC-130H aircraft with the J model, which are the same as the U.S. Air Force C-130Js and used for tactical airlift of troops and supplies. The team has conducted multiple tests in the past couple of weeks focusing on the ALR-56M radar warning receiver and its integration with the rest of the Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite and aircraft mission computer. "The BAF is…
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For the first time ever, a Royal Canadian Air Force plane has entered the Benefield Anechoic Facility. A team of engineers, operators and defense scientists from Canada, are wrapping up electronic warfare testing of an RCAF CC-130J Hercules transport plane. Canada is updating its fleet of legacy CC-130H aircraft with the J model, which are the same as the U.S. Air Force C-130Js and used for tactical airlift of troops and supplies. The team has conducted multiple tests in the past couple of weeks focusing on the ALR-56M radar warning receiver and its integration with the rest of the Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite and aircraft mission computer. "The BAF is…
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Airmen from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson helped a loadmaster from the Japan Air Self Defense Force celebrate a milestone on Wednesday, June 15. Chief Master Sgt. Takanori Konishi achieved 10,000 flight hours on C-130 planes during a training mission Wednesday as part of Red Flag Alaska, a simulated combat exercise going on this week. Konishi, 53, has spent 35 years in the military, 27 of which were on the C-130. His fellow airmen and several U.S. counterparts showered him with Champagne as he got off the plane and later tossed him in the air. U.S. Sr. Master Sgt. Mike Day said the 10,000-hour milestone is a rare achievement for any airman. Day said the U.S.…
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More than 70 Airmen from the 94th Airlift Wing recently took part in Maple Flag 49, an annual international air exercise, at 4 Wing Cold Lake in Alberta. Each year, allied forces from around the world seek to prepare their service members for tactical global operations. They came together from May 30-June 10 for air-to-air, air-to-surface and close air support operations in a simulated combat environment. Participating for the third time, the wing sought to invest its resources into its future fighting force. Lt. Col. Thomas Moffatt, the 700th Airlift Squadron director of operations and 94th AW Maple Flag mission commander, designed a detailed plan to meet that o…
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At first glance, the C-130 looks just like any other. Upon closer inspection though, this plane is a whole lot different. In fact, it's one of a kind. "This aircraft was built for one mission and one mission only," said Larry Layfield Air Force Life Cycle Management Center support contractor. The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States. Fifty two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days after a group of Iranian students belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. In April 1980, President Jimmy Carter ordered Desert Claw - a U.S. armed forces opera…
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In a ceremony on Monday, Lockheed Martin broke ground on the Hercules Training Center (HTC), a facility slated to open at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics site here in 2018. The HTC will train the next generation of air mobility pilots and crews for the C-130J airlifter and LM-100J commercial freighter. “Our shared investment in the Hercules Training Center continues years of strong partnership between Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to help equip pilots and aircrews worldwide to command the C-130 platform,” said Sandy Samuel, vice president, Training and Simulation Solutions. “We are thrilled to offer our customers even mo…
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A brand new C-130J aircraft delivered to Little Rock Air Force Base June 20, 2016, marks the beginning of a modern legacy of global reach capabilities. With this aircraft delivery, which is the final C-130J to arrive from the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Georgia, the 19th Airlift Wing is now the first U.S. Air Force active-duty unit to complete its transition from the H-model to the newer J-model aircraft. Known as “The Home of Combat Airlift,” the 19th Airlift Wing began transitioning from older C-130H cargo aircraft to newer C-130J models in 2004. The ongoing airframe conversion enables Airmen to improve strategic and tactical airlift abilities. …
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In the night-time skies of rural NSW, trainee Hercules pilots and loadmasters have been flying their aircraft with the aid of Night-Vision Goggles, manuevering at low-level and landing on dirt airstrips. From 8-17 June, No. 285 Squadron conducted an Airborne Operations Training Course from RAAF Base Richmond with pilots and loadmasters for the C-130J Hercules transport aircraft. For these members, the course forms the culmination of six-months training to operate the Hercules, and tests their skills in operating the aircraft at low-level, formation flying, the use of night-vision equipment, and airdrop of cargo. Once these members graduate from this course,…
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ABOARD AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER OVER JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — In mere seconds, the WC-130J springboards past 1,000 feet. It’s the extra push the J-model aircraft — first delivered to the Air Force Reserve “Hurricane Hunters” — gets on takeoff. It’s that kind of power the aircrew relies on to propel through a storm. With hurricane season just beginning, the five airman-crew from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron expects a busy few months. Twenty aircrews belong to the squadron stationed at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi — the Defense Department's only manned weather reconnaissance unit. Of the 53rd’s 10 WC-130Js, three can fly in different storms sim…
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Staff at Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge have been helping support Armed Forces Day after completing a special paint scheme on one of the RAF's Hercules aircraft. Armed Forces Day comes as Marshall celebrates its 50th anniversary of supporting the Hercules fleet and the 100th anniversary of 47 Squadron which operates the C-130J aircraft. The Hercules was given a special paint scheme on its fin and fuselage to mark the centenary and was seen taking part in the fly-past for the Queen's 90th birthday. A spokesman for Marshall, which has been supporting the Hercules transport aircraft since 1966, said: "It is important to recognize those who serve in t…
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Scorching, humid temperatures have a way of killing summer fun. But this year, the sticky air could bring an ugly visitor — Zika. The virus poses a threat to service members across 190 Defense Department installations in areas where Zika-carrying mosquitoes could migrate. Luckily, the 910th Airlift Wing is already in the business of killing insects. Members of the wing out of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, said they’re already up and running about the country spraying for their busy mosquito season. “It’s not just for the nuisance of them, but they’re also capable of spreading diseases as well,” said Capt. Jonathan Blackann, 757th Airlift Squadro…
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