2016
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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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Northrop Grumman (NG, Chalet CD01) Technology Services is offering legacy C-130 Hercules operators a center wing box (CWB) restoration solution. The offer derives from a refurbishment program on five C-130H airlifters that Australia gifted to the Indonesian air force. The Australian aircraft were overhauled before delivery by NG’s Integrated Defense Services (IDS) facility–the former Qantas Defense Services (QDS) company that the American corporation bought in 2013. QDS had provided deep maintenance support to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-130 fleet since 1958. One of the five ‘Herks’ for Indonesia proved to have a corroded CWB that needed repl…
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The 61st AS distinguished itself as the only C-130J squadron with at least nine crews, consisting of 85 percent of their work force, deployed throughout the year. The squadron, also known as the Green Hornets, safely executed 2,605 tactical airlift sorties, transported 9 million tons of cargo and 19,000 passengers in support of seven combatant commanders. “We were able to prepare ourselves for deployments despite the shortage in aircraft that we had available; for a great part of 2015 we had not even half of our allocated aircraft,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Eric Westby, 61st AS commander. “We cultivated the partnerships with other wings on base in order for us to …
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MANSFIELD – Approximately 100 members of the Ohio Air National Guard’s 179th Airlift Wing departed today for a near four-month deployment to the Middle East in support of Operation New Dawn. A majority of the members are from the 164th Airlift Squadron and will be flying C-130H aircraft as part of intra-theater operations, according to a news release from the airlift wing. The Mansfield-based unit is joining with active duty troops and members of the Alaska National Guard. This deployment is particularly significant for the participating units in the fact that Alaska Air National Guard will be the lead unit in a combined group and that the mission comple…
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The engine cranked on as vibrations coursed through the cargo bay. Outside the small windows, he could see the propellers spinning into action as his C-130 taxied out for departure from the 136th Airlift Wing at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas. Secured to one side of the bay, he acclimated to the constant hum of the aircraft and as they took off, he braced and prepared for the bumpy ride to destinations unknown. For the rest of the aircrew, this occurrence was a regular day at the office, but for Airman 1st Class John Karley, 136th Maintenance Squadron propulsion technician, this was all a first. Karley had worked on C-130’s for more than two yea…
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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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Air Force Special Operations Command plans to fly small, tactical off-board drones from its AC-130 gunships in combat for the first time later this year, which will give crews better views of the battlefield. Tactical off-board sensing, or TOBS, is intended to improve AFSOC’s targeting capabilities in poor weather or other challenging conditions. Gunship crews spend a lot of time “looking at tops of clouds … [thinking], ‘I wish the weather would clear. Damn, I’d like to shoot what’s down there but damn I can’t see it,’” said Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold, commander of AFSOC, at a Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict conference hosted by the National Defense Indus…
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They’ve been among us for a century now. They look like any other American citizen, blending with the crowd, living normal lives and working normal jobs. These inconspicuous men and women are far from ordinary; inside each one of them beats the heart of a wingman, leader and warrior. They’re Citizen Airmen, and for ten decades they have volunteered time and again to protect and preserve their country in extraordinary ways. This week Air Force Reserve Command recognizes their efforts by highlighting some of their special missions. To recognize and honor 100 years of Reserve Air Power, AFRC hosted a commemorative event at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, June 28 - 29, 2016,…
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The 374th Airlift Wing is the last active duty wing in the Air Force to operate the reliable and versatile work horse of airlift: the C-130 Hercules. Recently, the 374 AW received the U.S. Air Force’s last active duty loadmaster trained on the C-130H; Airman 1st Class Stephen Clark, 36th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, will soon begin contributing to the last chapters of the H-model’s 40-year airlift story here. “It’s good to be here,” Clark said. “I’m excited to do my job and I’m looking forward to working.” Yokota Air Base has hosted C-130s since 1975, when they were assigned to the 345th Tactical Airlift Squadron. Clark, as one of the last parts of that lega…
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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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Source: https://www.facebook.com/lockheedmartin/ View full article
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The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has awarded Pacific Propeller International (PPI) a five-year support contract to provide overhaul services for the Hamilton Sundstrand 54H60-117 propeller assembly and components. The 54H60-117 propeller system operates on the USCG’s fleet of C-130 Hercules Heavy Lift, Search and Rescue aircraft. The five-year contract consists of a one-year base, followed by four single-year options. PPI is an FAA authorized repair station, certified under FAR 145. For more than a half century PPI has been recognized as an accomplished global repair and overhaul facility and has enjoyed several smaller, quantity specific USCG 54H60 propelle…
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The Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew a fix mission Sept. 1 out of Keesler Air Force Base into Tropical Storm Hermine, which was upgraded to a hurricane mid-flight. In the afternoon, Hermine had max wind speeds of 70 mph at the surface, with a center about 110 miles due south of Panama City Beach, Florida, and was heading north, northeast at 16 mph. Hermine is the first named storm to hit the Gulf in the 2016 hurricane season and the first to hit the Florida coast since 2005. This mission was flown at 5,000 feet above the surface of the ocean at an average of 350 mph to collect data for the National Hurricane Center. The top of a typical …
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Those around the metro Atlanta area were treated to a unique view as six-ship C-130 formation from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia took to this skies for a training exercise July 9. The aircraft took off here at 10:30 a.m. and flew south toward the downtown area before turning north tracking the Interstate 75 corridor until reaching the Lake Acworth area and returned, landing at Dobbins ARB in the early afternoon. “For efficiency, we normally fly one or two planes together at once; however, there is value in exerting maximum effort to fully tax the operations and maintenance crews,” explained Lt. Col. Thomas Moffatt, 700th Airlift Squadron director of operations…
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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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Israel is close to starting negotiations linked to a planned deal to boost its fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports, sources in the nation have indicated. Three of the airlifters – named "Samson" in Israeli service – are already in operational use at Nevatim air base. Another two will arrive this year under with a further example to follow later. The air force previously outlined a requirement to introduce additional examples on top of those six. Meanwhile, the operational experience gained by the service in operating the new-generation Hercules since April 2014 will lead to an increase in the number of Israeli-developed systems integrated…
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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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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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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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For more than 40 years, people living in Niagara Falls and other parts of Niagara County could see C-130 Hercules aircraft in the skies on a regular basis. That came to an end Monday, as four of the planes took off for an overseas assignment for the last time. The C-130s have been a mainstay at the local installation, serving the nation in numerous foreign and domestic assignments, utilizing pilots, navigators, loadmasters, flight engineers and medical evacuation personnel. "We've been involved in every major and minor conflict that the world has been involved with, from Panama to Bosnia to Kosovo," said Lt. Col. Mark Ables, who has been flying C-130s s…
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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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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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A Canadian firm wants Ottawa to buy older transport aircraft from Norway, saying this could significantly boost the military’s capabilities in the Arctic relatively cheaply. The five C-130H aircraft, modernized before they were put in storage in the U.S. and with about 50 per cent of their flying time remaining, could be acquired for about $60 million, says Tom Edmison, president of Total Corporate Aviation Services. The deal would include tens of thousands of parts for the aircraft, which could also be used for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s existing C-130H transport planes. “These aircraft have everything you need to operate in the Arctic,” said Edmison, …
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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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NASHUA, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BAE Systems has been selected by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to develop a new electronic warfare system for the fleet of C-130J aircraft. The contract, worth more than $20 million, is the first phase of a multi-phase program to upgrade aircraft system survivability and the capability to detect, identify, locate, deny, degrade, disrupt, and defeat threat systems in operational significant environments. The life cycle value of the contract is expected to exceed $400 million. The Radio Frequency Countermeasure (RFCM) system offers fully integrated, precision geo-location, and radio frequency countermeasure capabilitie…
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