Here’s a blend of two video B-Roll segments from the California Air National Guard showing the preparation of he 146th Airlift Wing’s C-130s for use as firefighters, and then actual fire duty from the cockpit in July 2020. Look closely and you will see the lead plane put out a stream of smoke where the C-130 is supposed to drop. And listen to the sounds of the drop from the cockpit.

Video Credit: Fred Johnsen of AIRAILIMAGES

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Horry County officials and family members of the thirteen airmen that passed away in the 1972 military air crash in the Bayboro area gathered Saturday to honor the victims on the 48th anniversary of the crash.

"Historic preservation is what I like to do," said Jamie Thompkins, with Horry County Historical Preservation Society, who helped plan the event. "I had no idea this was going to be an emotional rollercoaster for me, but it has been ... What I found was a story that was tucked away in our county's history and when I opened the door, so to speak, it came rushing out."

On December 5, 1972, thirteen men died when an F-102 interceptor based out of McEntire Air National Guard base near Columbia collided in mid-air with a C-130 transport plane out of what is now Pope Army Airfield in North Carolina. The aircraft crashed to the ground near the Bayboro area off Joyner Swamp Road.

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“The accident occurred on a night combat profile mission, referred to as a CORONET SIERRA mission, designed to test the various options and capabilities of the … aircraft,” an Air Force incident report read, noting it was a training mission.

An historical roadside marker, as well as a headstone with all thirteen names was placed in the field next to the Joyner Swamp Fire Station just down the road from the crash site near Tyler Road. 

Horry County Councilman Al Allen, one of the driving forces behind the planning of the memorial more than a year in the making, said that the markers are on county property and assured the family that the memorials will always be taken care of properly. 

"I listened to the personal story of each airman, and each one of them has a special memory, and each conversation I ended up in tears. This only cemented my resolve to see this project to a positive outcome. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to bring everyone together today for this ceremony," Thompkins said. "I am humbled to share in such precious memories."

Many local, state, and military officials attended, including members of the Horry County Council, the Honorable Thomas Keegan (on behalf of Congressman Tom Rice), and Col. Joseph Vanoni with the U.S. Air Force out of Pope Army Airfield in North Carolina. 

The Horry County Fire Rescue Honor Guard and the Horry County Police Honor Guard were in attendance as well as the Coastal Carolina Shields, Pipes and Drums. 

Vanoni told the crowd he was proud to be in attendance "to honor them as we should have 48 years ago."

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Family members of the servicemen came from as far away as California and Illinois for the memorial, saying the event was some closure their families needed. 

"It was wonderful," said Kathy Fischer, sister of then 23-year-old Doug Thierer, who was on board the C-130 that crashed. 

Ronald Tyler and his children Greg Tyler and Phyllis Richardson, who all lived just by the site of the crash, told their story of that night, when Ronald Tyler ran out of his house with his children. After the midair collision, the remainder of the C-130 seemed to be headed straight for their home. 

Tyler and Richardson both told the families that while they were scared that night, they understand their experience was nothing compared to the family members that lost loved ones. 

"They want you to know they shared in your grief," Thompkins told the family during the memorial. 

Richardson told the crowd she had been blessed to have been able to meet and befriend the Thierer family.

“Phyllis, she was my age at the time,” Fischer said. “I never thought about that. It gave me a different empathy. I never thought about what was going on [down] on the ground because we were so totally devastated.”

Read more about the Tyler's experience that night, as well as comments from some airmen family members here.

"I can't think but one thought and that is that freedom is not free. Some folks have paid a hefty toll," Thompkins said. "The absolute bravery of people I don't even know who are willing to put their lives on the line every day is pretty overwhelming. They should be respected by all, because this is not a debt we can repay. We can however come together as a community to tell our story to see that these men who perished here will never be forgotten, and that this spot will be marked forever for all those to see that something significant happened here." 

View original article here: Military plane crash victims memorialized after 48 years | News | myhorrynews.com

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Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has completed modernization of seven aircraft under the C-130 E/B Avionics Modernization (Erciyes) Program.

“In the Erciyes C-130 modernization project, which includes a total of 19 aircraft, we have completed the modernization works of 7 aircraft, which have been integrated with the latest technologies,” TAI announced on December 8.

The 56-month project signed in 2007 covers avionics modernization of all of Turkish Air Force (TuAF) C-130 planes. The first prototype aircraft was delivered to the service in 2014. Turkish content in both hardware and software has been increased to reduce long term costs.

Upgrade of a total of 23 systems and 117 components continue to be carried out with the central control computer or the “brain” of C-130 aircraft.

TAI re-designed GPS, indicator, anti-collision system, air radar, advanced military and civilian navigation systems, night-time invisible lighting for military missions, sound recording black box carries out the modernization of critical parts such as communication systems, advanced automatic flight systems (military and civilian), ability to operate in the military network, digital floating map and ground mission planning systems.

It will facilitate the mission capabilities of C130 aircraft, reduces the pilot's workload, as well as ensuring safe flight with automatic route tracking from take-off to landing. With the modernization, the plane will have increased situational awareness and improved ability to land in airports precisely and safely.

View original article: Turkey Modernizes Seven C-130 Planes (defenseworld.net)

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A C-130J Super Hercules conducted a hot-pit refuel of a pair of F-22 Raptors Nov. 24 at Koror Palau International Airport using an Aerial Bulk Fuel Delivery System.

This mission was one of a series of operations associated with Westpac, a dynamic force employment of the 94th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s area of responsibility.

According to the Air Expeditionary Force Fuels Management Pocket Guide, ABFDS is an aerial, fuels-delivery system that enables aircraft to transport fuel rapidly to locations close to or behind enemy lines. This system is normally installed on C-130s but can be used on C-5 Galaxies and C-17 Globemaster IIIs.

“Hot-pit refueling operations using ABFDS are relatively new,” said Chief Master Sgt. Steve McClure, Pacific Air Forces command fuels functional manager. “The primary design of the ABFDS system is to refuel or to take bulk fuel to bladders in a contingency location. It has the capability to refuel aircraft and always has, but we’ve stepped that up with (agile combat employment).”

According to McClure, the 374th Airlift Wing developed the checklist to use ABFDS to refuel other aircraft, and this is the second time C-130s from the 36th Airlift Squadron, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan, have hot-pit refueled F-22 Raptors using ABFDS. The first time was during exercise Valiant Shield 20, a biennial, U.S.-only, joint field training exercise at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in September.

“They’ve been phenomenal and worked a lot on getting us to where we’re at,” he said.

ABFDS supports PACAF’s ACE concept, which envisions the use of agile operations to generate resilient airpower in a contested environment. The system consists of two, 3,000-gallon aerial bladder tanks, two pumping modules, a meter and hoses. It is also capable of delivering 600 gallons per minute with one pump or 1,200 gallons per minute with both pumps.

Should pilots find themselves running out of fuel and they cannot land at the airfield they departed from because it’s under attack or has battle damage, the pilots can divert to a different location knowing they can get refueled.

“If that location doesn’t have fuel support, we can generate a mission to fly in and off load fuel to the aircraft,” McClure said.

Being able to get fuel to places in the USINDOPACOM theater of operations is important due to its size. The command’s area of responsibility is more than 100 million square miles, or roughly 52% of the Earth’s surface, stretching from the west coast of the United States, the west coast of India, and from the Arctic to the Antarctic, making this an important capability.

“There are more airfields than there is capability at those airfields,” McClure said. “You never know when we’re going to land, and you never know when we’re going to need support. It offers us the opportunity to put fuel at a location in a relatively short amount of time as opposed to moving it via maritime.

“We have the capability to load fuel on an aircraft. Take that aircraft and land somewhere, refuel and get back out of there. Once all aircraft are gone, it’s like we’ve never been there.”

ABFDS has been used in other USINDOPACOM exercises and used to rotate U-2 Dragon Ladies in and out of South Korea. The system was also loaded onto Royal Australian Air Force C-17s and used to refuel a C-130 during Arctic Ace 2018.

The 94th EFS is deployed to Andersen AFB from the 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.

View original article here: C-130J refuels F-22s using Aerial Bulk Fuel Delivery System > Edwards Air Force Base > News (af.mil)

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Social distancing, mask wearing, contact tracing, testing and quarantines have enabled the U.S. military’s airlift hub in Tokyo to continue its mission across the Indo-Pacific region despite the global pandemic, the 374th Airlift Wing commander said Friday.

“We’ve been executing every mission we’ve been tasked to do, not without regard for COVID, but despite COVID,” Col. Andrew Campbell told Stars and Stripes in an interview. COVID-19 is the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.

The airlifters, stationed at Yokota in western Tokyo, fly 14 C-130J Super Hercules transport planes in support of the Indo-Pacific Command. The wing also operates UH-1N helicopters and C-12J transports.

Their missions include tactical airdrop, aeromedical evacuation, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and transporting distinguished visitors.

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“We’ve continued to move safely and with such care that we haven’t had significant COVID transmission caused by the missions that we’ve been executing,” Campbell said.

Yokota, with a community of just under 12,000 airmen, civilian workers and family members, has reported at least 86 coronavirus cases since May, not counting an undisclosed number of Navy personnel who sequestered on base before shipping out with the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group.

In November, a small outbreak fueled by more than 30 instances of spreading by close contact contributed to a monthly total of 62 people infected with the virus, the most the base has reported in any month during the pandemic.

Three C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, fly near Mount Fuji, May 11, 2020.
YASUO OSAKABE/U.S. AIR FORCE

Campbell said oft-repeated health protection measures such as social distancing, contact tracing, masks for those in close contact, restriction of movement for people coming into Japan and testing have helped the Air Force contain the virus.

“The public health protection measures we have in place have been very effective in enabling us to sustain our mission,” he said. “People have done a really good job of complying with the protective measures out of a sense of community.”

The wing doesn’t have data on the number of Yokota personnel who have been ordered abroad this year, although Campbell said his airmen are constantly going on missions.

“We are a mobility wing,” he said. “We constantly have people executing the mobility mission.”

This year Yokota airmen have, for example, flown to Alaska to train, ferried soldiers to Palau and conducted refueling operations on Guam and Okinawa.

“There is no debate that COVID has impacted every aspect of everything we do but the successes we have had despite this challenge are remarkable,” he said.

The U.S. military’s mobility forces operate continuously and globally even during a pandemic, Campbell said.

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“We have continued to execute our mission despite COVID,” he said. “It’s a positive reflection on our resilience and perseverance.”

Campbell said there have been tactical highlights, such as a Nov. 24 mission that involved one of the wing’s C-130Js doing a hot-pit refuel of a pair of F-22 Raptor stealth fighters at Koror Palau International Airport.

The aircraft had an aerial bulk fuel delivery system designed to transport fuel rapidly to spots close to or behind enemy lines. One of the wing’s aircraft refueled Raptors the same way at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in September, according to an Air Force news release Nov. 24.

“We did a similar operation between a C-130J and an F-15 on Okinawa recently,” Campbell said.

Over the summer, Yokota personnel deployed to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Ahead of the mission, airmen rehabilitated a 1970s-era tactical air navigation system using parts bought at Joyful Honda, a local hardware store. They used the gear to guide aircraft transiting between Alaska and Japan, he said.

It’s unclear where Yokota airmen might travel on missions next year, Campbell said.

People will be watching how the global community moves over the next couple of months, “ … hopefully out from this dark cloud of COVID,” he said. “Everyone is hopeful the vaccine will enable us to return to full normality.”

View original article here: Simple health precautions help keep Tokyo-based airlifters flying during the pandemic - Pacific - Stripes

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The US has approved the sale of USD 90 million worth of military hardware and services in support of its fleet of C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship and improve the security of a “Major Defense Partner”, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) of the Department of Defense said on Thursday.

In a major sales notification to Congress, DSCA said that India continues to be an important force for political stability, peace and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region.

Among the requests made by India include aircraft consumables spares and repair/return parts; Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices (CAD/PAD) fire extinguisher cartridges; flare cartridges; Advanced Radar Warning Receiver shipset; 10 Lightweight Night Vision Binocular; 10 AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggle; GPS; Electronic Warfare; instruments and lab equipment support. The estimated total amount is USD 90 million.

The Pentagon said that the proposed sale ensures the previously procured aircraft operates effectively to serve the needs of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Army and the Navy transport requirements, local and international humanitarian assistance, and regional disaster relief.

This sale of spares and services will enable the IAF to sustain a mission-ready status with respect to the C-130J transport. India will have no difficulty absorbing this additional sustainment support, it said.

According to the Pentagon, the proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The prime contractor will be Lockheed-Martin Company, Marietta, Georgia.

In a major move in 2016, the US had designated India a "Major Defence Partner" intending to elevate defence trade and technology sharing to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners.

View Original article here:  US approves sale of USD 90 mn worth of military equipment and services to India (outlookindia.com)

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L-3 Communications Integrated Systems of Waco with facilities at the TSTC airport has been awarded an estimated $667,877,734 contract for maintenance of C-130 aircraft.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published November 25, 2020

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force has selected Louisville Air National Guard Base, Kentucky; McLaughlin ANGB, West Virginia; Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Texas; and Savannah ANGB, Georgia as the preferred locations to receive C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to replace their aging C-130Hs, pending the outcome of environmental assessments.

The Air Force evaluated all C-130J candidate locations against objective criteria based on mission requirements. The preferred alternatives were the highest scoring locations based on that criteria.

The C-130J reduces manpower requirements, lowers operating and support costs, and provides life-cycle cost savings over earlier C-130 models. Compared to older C-130s, the “J” model climbs faster and higher, flies farther at a higher cruise speed, and takes off and lands in a shorter distance.

C-130J major system improvements include advanced two-pilot flight station with fully integrated digital avionics, color multifunctional liquid crystal and head-up displays, and state-of-the-art navigation that includes a dual inertial navigation system and GPS. The aircraft also features fully integrated defensive systems, low-power color radar, digital moving map display, new turboprop engines with six-bladed all-composite propellers and a digital autopilot. The C-130J also includes improved fuel, environmental and ice-protection and an enhanced cargo-handling system.

Kentucky, West Virginia and Texas will begin receiving eight aircraft, each in 2021. Georgia will receive new aircraft if they become available in the future.

Nov. 19, 2020 | By Brian W. Everstine

A C-130H crew landed too quickly, causing the aircraft to oscillate and then overrun the runway before crashing into a concrete barrier in June at Camp Taji, Iraq, destroying the Hercules, according to an Air Force investigation.

The C-130H, tail number 94-6706, assigned to the 165th Airlift Wing of the Georgia Air National Guard and flown by a crew from the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing, was flying a theater airlift sortie from Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, when the mishap occurred on June 8. All 26 aircrew and passengers survived, with four sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. The aircraft was a total loss valued at $35.9 million.

The C-130, callsign CROME60, took off without incident from Ali Al Salem and began its descent 59 minutes later into Camp Taji at about 10 p.m. local time for a night-vision landing, according to an Air Force Accident Investigation Board report released Nov. 18. During the descent, the aircrew turned earlier than its planned turn point and did not descend to the lower altitude as described in its flight plan.

The C-130 engaged its flaps to 100 percent while flying at about 157 knots indicated airspeed, though the recommended speed for 100 percent flaps is 145 knots indicated airspeed, according to the investigation. Two miles out from the airfield, the C-130 was flying at about 1,000 feet above the recommended glideslope for a landing at Camp Taji.

GPS data showed that when the C-130 crossed the runway threshold at the base, it was flying 151 knots, with the recommended landing speed for a C-130 at its loaded weight being 105 knots.

Because of the excessive speed, and the fact the C-130 was at a nose-down attitude, the aircraft generated lift causing it to oscillate or “porpoise” down the runway—an up and down movement similar to how the sea mammal swims. By the time the aircraft’s engines engaged reverse thrust and allowed it to settle onto wheels so its brakes could engage, there was only about 1,000 feet of runway left. It overran the runway, and ultimately slammed into the concrete barrier 600 feet beyond the end of the tarmac.

In the impact, all propellers, still in reverse, and the front of their reduction gear boxes came off their engines. Two external fuel tanks hit the barrier, and debris from aircraft parts scattered across the aircraft and the ground around it. All 26 aircrew and passengers were able to escape through paratroop doors.

The report states the primary cause of the mishap was the excessive speed above the landing velocity, which caused the oscillation during landing. Additionally, the aircrew failed to adequately assess risk, follow proper procedures, and had poor communication throughout the incident, the report states.

The 16th Aircraft Maintenance Unit said farewell to one of its AC-130W Stinger II gunships as it took its final flight from Cannon Oct. 19, 2020, before permanently retiring from air operations.

Officially labeled as Tail No. 1303, the aircraft was received from the Lockheed-Martin factory June 6, 1989, with the original nickname of ‘City of Hurricane.’ 

Since that time, but before becoming part of the gunship arsenal, Tail No. 1303 served in numerous, varying mission sets including critical supply drops into Bosnia, transportation of Special Forces during Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM, humanitarian missions providing relief for Hurricane Katrina, and refueling duties for the 73rd Special Operations Squadron.

“The aircraft was a MC-130W being utilized for refueling missions when I arrived in 2008,” said Master Sgt. Kevin Shafer, 16 AMU crew chief section chief and prior Dedicated Crew Chief to Tail No. 1303. “I was its Dedicated Crew Chief in 2009 and it wasn’t until 2012 when it was converted into an AC-130W.”

As a gunship, Tail No. 1303 made its claim to fame by being the first gunship to record a combat kill on Feb. 9, 2011. It then went on to achieve another milestone by having the distinction of being the first 105mm cannon-installed whiskey to confirm a 105mm kill in December of 2016.

However, even though serving a critical role as a lethal option in the Air Force Special Operations Command’s firepower, the whiskey models’ purpose in a sense was a temporary capability, or a long-term solution, for its eventual and intended replacement – the ‘J’ models.

“The Air Force has a new generation of gunships, the AC-130J models, that are ready to come off the assembly line and we have to make room for them,” said Master Sgt. Jesse French, 16 AMU production superintendent. “Eventually, all whiskey models will be replaced by the J models.”

While the Air Force is always looking to improve its weapons systems and preparing for the future, it doesn’t mean that one can’t pay homage to the equipment that got it to this point. A 31-year career for an aircraft that has seen combat doesn’t happen without countless maintainers providing extreme care over the years.

It takes dedicated individuals.  

“Dedicated Crew Chief is a program that units offer to highly-skilled maintenance technicians,” Staff Sgt. Joshua Ohienmhen, 16 AMU Non-Commissioned Officer in charge and most recent DCC for Tail No. 1303. “Of course you take care of multiple aircraft but the aircraft you are dedicated to is your baby. This is the one you take the most pride in and try to make it look and work the best. It promotes healthy competition within the unit and ownership over your aircraft.”

For a long time, Cannon did not have a DCC program so the unit decided to mirror their program after the Flying Crew Chief program.

“Since we don’t have Flying Crew Chiefs here, we have just tailored our DCC program to match the FCC requirements,” Ohienmhen explained. “So all of our DCCs should have a FCC mentality even though we cannot fly with the plane.”

Ohienmhen has been working on Tail No. 1303 for a few years but has been its DCC for approximately six months since when the DCC program was officially created.

“It takes a special kind of maintainer to walk in knowing that the aircraft is going to be retired soon and still take an immense pride in taking caring of it,” Shafer said about Ohienmhen. “I couldn’t ask for a better DCC to take over this aircraft.”

That pride, and mindset of still giving it the best treatment possible, comes from Ohienmhen’s history with the aircraft.

“I was actually there helping [Tail No. 1303] get modified for the 105mm,” Ohienmhen said. “So it was kind of like nostalgia for me when we took all the weapons systems back off in preparation for retirement because I was reminded of all the hard work I had put into it. It was sad to be honest. I don’t want my plane to go.”

Fortunately, ‘retirement’ is not synonymous with ‘out-of-use’ in the case for Tail No. 1303. The aircraft’s final destination was Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, which falls under the Air Education and Training Command, where it will permanently stay to be repurposed as a weapons training system.

“Sheppard needed an aircraft they could train on for weapons school,” French explained. “This way, Airmen at the school can work on a real-world weapons system to be proficient at their job before arriving to their first operating unit.”

The weapons systems on 1303 were stripped off the aircraft prior to its final flight and shipped off to a different installation where they will be altered to meet safety regulations for school before returning to 1303 in December.

As a farewell, Shafer and Ohienmhen, both once DDCs of Tail No. 1303, rode with the gutted, empty aircraft on that final flight to Sheppard AFB.

“You know in the movies where people are walking away and not looking back…that wasn’t us.” Shafer said. “We were both practically walking backwards looking back at the aircraft for the last time.”

By: Sam LaGrone

September 29, 2020 9:34 PM • Updated: September 29, 2020 11:03 PM

A Marine F-35B aircraft has crashed near Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif., following an air collision with a KC-130J, defense officials confirmed to USNI News.

At approximately 4 p.m. local time, “it was reported that an F-35B made contact with a KC-130J during an air-to-air refueling evolution, resulting in the crash of the F-35B. The pilot of the F-35B ejected successfully and is currently being treated,” read a statement from Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Joseph Butterfield to USNI News.
“The KC-130J is on deck in the vicinity of Thermal Airport. All crew members of the KC-130J have been reported safe.”

The KC-130J, often used as an aerial refueler for Marine aviation, made an emergency landing near the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Therma, Calif., according to photos published by KESQ Channel 3.

The following is the complete statement from the Marine Corps.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. (Sep. 29, 2020) — At approximately 1600 it was reported that an F-35B made contact with a KC-130J during an air-to-air refueling evolution, resulting in the crash of the F-35B. The pilot of the F-35B ejected successfully and is currently being treated.

The KC-130J is on deck in the vicinity of Thermal Airport. All crew members of the KC-130J have been reported safe.

The official cause of the crash is currently under investigation. Updates will be provided as information becomes available.

Members of the 193rd Special Operations Wing move an EC-130E "Commando Solo" static display to a new location at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., on Sept. 14, 2020. The aircraft, which has been on display since 2006, was moved to make way for a future construction project. This aircraft began its service in 1963, and the 193rd SOW used it to conduct airborne psychological operations missions from 1979 to 2006.

By Lauren Russell, 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs / Published September 17, 2020

Several persons have reportedly been injured after a plane accident in Maroua, Cameroon's Far North region. Sources say the military plane missed the tarmac of the airport, crashing into a nearby plain. It is suspected that heavy rains might have contributed to the incident.

View original post: https://twitter.com/MimiMefoInfo/status/1289998178880638977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1289998178880638977%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Faviation-safety.net%2Fwikibase%2F239000

Additional info can be found here: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/239000

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Police posted photos of the plane, a U.S. Air Force C-130 transport aircraft, on its Facebook page Saturday.

It was loaded onto a tractor trailer in CT, where troopers escorted the heavy cargo to the Rhode Island border. The plane is headed to New Hampshire, according to the State Police Facebook post.

"Many people were surprised to see this plane traveling along the interstate and through Bethel, Thomaston and other towns," police wrote in the post.

Believed to be heading for Pease ANGB, NH to be possibly a aeromedivac trainer.

The sprawling facility at Texas State Technical College airport long has engaged in depot-level maintenance of C-130 military aircraft. But this contract is the first under a new “U.S. Navy acquisition initiative,” according to a press release from L3Harris spokesperson Lance Martin.

The initiative could mean even more work for L3Harris locally, Martin said. Called the U.S. Navy’s Contracted Maintenance, Modification, Aircrew and Related Services program, it allows companies to quickly secure the Navy’s nod to proceed with heavy duty maintenance and support services.

L3Harris uses six hangars at TSTC airport and welcomes applications from students in the school’s aviation programs, Martin said.

Up to four U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J/T aircraft will regularly fly into Waco for a thorough examination, maintenance and repairs that include new paint jobs if necessary, repairs, operational checks and test flights to ensure aircraft readiness. Martin referred to the testing as visual and nondestructive, and said it takes place when aircraft reach certain hours of operation.

L3 and Harris Technologies merged last year to form L3Harris, which is headquartered in Melbourne, Florida. Executive leadership said the merger would create a defense company geared to pursue contracts meeting the U.S. Department of Defense’s vision for more sophisticated warfare systems.

The aircraft the Waco facility will service, “was purchased by the Marine Corps to replace its aging fleet of KC-130F tanker aircraft. The ‘J’ is a primary aerial refueling aircraft for Marine fixed-wing jets and helicopters. The KC-130 Hercules can resupply austere battle zones, provide a Direct Air Support Center, insert ground troops and perform medevac operations,” according to a description featured on Military.com.

The KC-130 has capacity to offload 57,500 pounds of fuel from wing-mounted and external tanks, in addition to a 3,600-gallon aluminum fuel tank that can be removed from the cargo area. It can transfer 300 gallons per minute to multiple aircraft simultaneously, according to Military.com.

The team at L3Harris in Waco has the experience, resources and facilities to conduct maintenance on these planes in a timely fashion, Jon Piatt, vice president and general manager of Integrated Aerospace Systems wrote in the press release.

“We are pleased the U.S. Navy selected us to apply our proven and trusted expertise to augment mission readiness for these critical U.S. Navy and Marine Corps C-130 aircraft,” Piatt said in the press release.

Martin could not provide an exact dollar value on the work and would not speculate on whether it would create additional jobs at the Waco plant.

He said L3Harris Technologies employs about 750 at its Waco site.

L3 last year won a $499 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to perform avionics upgrades on 176 C-130H aircraft in Waco. The award was announced prior to the merger that formed L3Harris Technologies.

Work has continued on that project despite COVID-19, Martin said Tuesday.

L3Harris enjoys about $18 billion in annual revenue and has 48,000 employees and customers in more than 100 countries, the company said.

By Garrett Reim9 July 2020

The US Air Force (USAF) has placed an initial order for colour video feed upgrades to some of its Northrop Grumman Litening targeting pods.

The number of targeting pods to receive upgrades and the value of the contract were not disclosed in Northrop’s 7 July announcement.

Source: Northrop Grumman

Litening pod footage after colour TV upgrade

Litening targeting pods are used by fixed-wing combat aircraft to detect, acquire, automatically track and identify ground targets at long range. The equipment comes with a laser designator and laser rangefinder. It is used by pilots to direct or aim laser-guided bombs, conventional bombs and GPS-guided weapons to targets. 

Northrop says colour video footage should help pilots make sense of the battlefield faster.

“Litening’s colour video capability works with the way we naturally see the world to give warfighters in the cockpit and on the ground more-complete situational understanding in less time,” says Ryan Tintner, the company’s vice-president of navigation, targeting and surveillance.

Source: Air National Guard

Northrop Grumman Litening pod on a Lockheed Martin C-130’s wing

Adding colour video to the pod is made easier by the hardware’s modular design, a feature which should enable further upgrades, says Northrop. The upgrade also includes the ability to simultaneously record video feeds from all of the Litening pod’s sensors, including its forward-looking infrared camera, for post-mission analysis. Previously, the video footage the pod fed to pilots was black and white.

In addition to the USAF, the Litening pod is used by the US Marine Corps and several foreign militaries. The equipment is qualified and integrated on the Boeing AV-8B,  F/A-18, B-52 and F-15, Fairchild Republic A-10, Lockheed Martin C-130 and F-16. Northrop says it has delivered more than 900 examples of the Litening pod.

Airman 1st Class Hailey Ziegler, US Air Force

Jun 29, 2020, 9:44 AM

The last AC-130U Spooky gunship to retire, aircraft 0128, also known as "Big Daddy," on the flightline at Hurlburt Field, Florida, June 26, 2020. US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Hailey M. Ziegler

• An AC-130U Spooky gunship named "Big Daddy" made history by being the first Spooky to ever receive a black letter initial on its status page before a flight.

• A black letter means the aircraft has no maintenance discrepancies and is a rare feat for any Air Force plane.

• The Air Force is phasing out the AC-130U. Big Daddy will be the last to retire and will be placed in the Hurlburt Field Air Park.

HURLBURT FIELD, Florida — An AC-130U Spooky gunship named "Big Daddy" made history by being the first Spooky to ever receive a black letter initial on its status page before a flight, June 18, 2020.

This was a momentous accomplishment for Air Commandos in the 4th Special Operations Squadron and the 4th AMU.

"A black letter is significant because it means there are absolutely no discrepancies whatsoever on the plane," said US Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mark Lennon, a section chief with the 4th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. "A black letter is when there's no discrepancies on the status page. The crew chief's last name and first initial goes in that place. It shows that aircraft has really been maintained with excellence."

This standard of excellence is only achieved through teamwork.

"It's a huge teamwork effort and accomplishment for everyone," said Lennon. "It takes a lot of hard work and pride to make this happen."

The last Spooky, named "Gunslinger," retired to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, June 26, 2020. However, Big Daddy will be the last to retire and will be placed in the Hurlburt Field Air Park.

Any time an aircraft flies, it could come back with any number of discrepancies or those discrepancies which can be found when maintainers do their inspections.

"Aircraft across the Air Force usually fly with discrepancies, so it's really rare to see a black letter initial," said Lennon. "In my 11 years in service, I've only seen it one other time."

The Spookys have been operational since 1995, providing combat overwatch for 18 of those years. The heavily armed aircraft incorporates side-firing weapons integrated with sophisticated sensor, navigation, and fire-control systems to provide surgical firepower or area saturation during extended loiter periods, at night and in adverse weather.

The mission down range has been taken over by the AC-130J Ghostrider gunships since July 2019. The same aircraft the 4th SOS and AMU will now be working with.

"After 25 years of service, we're closing one chapter and starting another with the AC-130Js," said US Air Force Capt. Hannah Boeman, officer in charge with the 4th AMU. "Talking to a lot of the maintainers at the 4th AMU, it's kind of a bittersweet moment for them. Since most of them have spent a majority of their career working with these aircraft, I know it's sad to see them go."

By Joseph TrevithickJune 30, 2020

USN

The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels have finally given us our first full look at the ex-Royal Air Force C-130J Hercules that will take on the role of Fat Albert. The flight demonstration team teased the arrival of this aircraft and its new paint scheme, which will replace the already retired C-130T that they had previously used as their squadron transport and in their performances, earlier this year.

The Blue Angels released the picture of their latest Fat Albert on their Facebook page on June 30, 2020. The aircraft is presently at Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group's facility at Cambridge City Airport in the United Kingdom, where it is undergoing final fit checks.

"Over the next few weeks, team members will conduct a series of maintenance tests, which include an aircraft systems operational check out and a functional check flight, prior to completing the transatlantic flight to the United States," the accompanying Facebook post says. "#BAFans you will notice a couple changes to the paint scheme. The flight surfaces now have yellow tips, similar to our F/A-18s, 2 stripes run down the side of the aircraft and the iconic white top has been changed to a tear drop design."

Some of those changes had already been visible in the images that the Blue Angels had released of the aircraft back in March. In contrast to the scheme used on the previous C-130T, this aircraft's aircraft's paint scheme also has the name of the team written in gold lettering rather than blue and a pair of gold stripes in place of a single thicker one.

The Blue Angels' previous C-130T-based Fat Albert.

"This C-130J model will provide improved logistics support and eventually join the Blue Angels demonstration!" the Facebook post also notes. The team has been without a Fat Albert, which also serves as their dedicated transport from show to show, for more than a year now. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has also, unfortunately, severely curtailed their show season for this year, though they did take part in flyovers across the country in support of first responders, healthcare workers, and other individuals on the front lines that crisis. 

The Navy formally acquired this ex-U.K. Royal Air Force C-130J as the Blue Angels next Fat Albert in 2019 at the cost of around $29.7 million. The U.K. Ministry of Defense had previously decided to retire all of the RAF's short-fuselage J models, which that service had designated Hercules C5s, based on the recommendations of the country's 2010 Strategic Defense and Security Review. It has now revised that plan to retain one of the Hercules C5s through at least 2021. The RAF will also continue to fly 14 long-fuselage C-130J-30s, which it calls Hercules C4s.

It remains uncertain, especially given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, when the Blue Angels' latest Fat Albert will make its public debut. "Please note that our team is practicing social distancing and taking every precaution to maintain mission readiness. Stay safe!" the team's Facebook posted said.

Regardless, it's exciting to finally get a glimpse of the aircraft in its new paint scheme and hopefully it won't be too long before people get to see it up close.

An AC-130U Spooky gunship with the 4th Special Operations Squadron parks on the flightline after it's farewell flight over Hurlburt Field, Florida, June 3, 2020. This heavily armed aircraft incorporates side-firing weapons integrated with sophisticated sensor, navigation, and fire control systems to provide surgical firepower or area saturation during extended loiter periods, at night and in adverse weather. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hailey M. Ziegler)

The Green Hornets from the 61st Airlift Squadron were recently awarded the General Joseph Smith Trophy for being recognized as the most outstanding airlift squadron in Air Mobility Command in 2019.

This is the second year in a row Little Rock Air Force Base has had a squadron receive the coveted award, showcasing the sustained excellence the 19th Airlift Wing provides the mobility air forces enterprise.

“I’m proud to have arguably the two best airlift squadrons in the MAF, 41st AS last year and 61st AS this year,” said Col. Shane Haughian, 19th Operations Group commander. “One of the things I’m most proud of is how the two squadrons work together, share best practices and push each other to be better.”

To get there, the Green Hornets executed the first-ever C-130J radiological exercise and the first-ever Mobility Air Force Distributed Operations exercise. Their groundbreaking full spectrum readiness work redefined the limits of mobility airlift in contested, denied and degraded environments and set a new FSR standard for the Air Force.

“When we set out to define what full spectrum readiness meant to us, we knew that we had to grow beyond basic C-130J combat airlift,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Miller, 61st AS commander. “We had to gain and maintain a level of proficiency in our competencies to enable us to learn new things, to stretch our capability and then share it with the enterprise.”

The honor of receiving the trophy did not come without challenges as the airlift squadron supported seven combatant commanders across five areas of responsibility in 2019. In total, the squadron executed 5,500 tactical airlift sorties and transported 14 million tons of cargo and 24,400 passengers.

“This win is concrete feedback and validation of all the effort the squadron has put into the combat airlift enterprise,” Miller said.

Those efforts culminated in the largest combat airdrop in 10 years, resupplying isolated SOF troops in Afghanistan, in support of the Department of State’s top Afghanistan priority.

“Effectiveness in the next conflict will be predicated on our ability to integrate with joint, interagency and multinational partners,” Miller said. “Even if we’re the best at combat airlift, we can’t expect to execute alone successfully – defending our nation is a joint endeavor.”

The 61st AS is continuing their excellence through training and real world contingencies and will be passing on best practices to the Herk community.

“The Smith Trophy win for the 61st Airlift Squadron is recognition of direct contributions to our nation’s defense,” Miller said.

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By Lt. Col. Paul Hendrickson , Materiel Leader, Agile Combat Support Directorate, CBRN Defense Systems / Published June 05, 2020

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON (JBC), S.C.  – One month since the successful flight demonstration of the Negatively Pressurized Conex (NPC) proof-of-concept, a team of experts from across the country continue to work tirelessly to finalize the design and ensure the safety and effectiveness of both the NPC and NPC Lite (NPCL) next phase builds. 

The first NPCL was delivered to Joint Base Charleston on June 1 for operational test and the NPC will arrive this weekend.  Following successful testing they are projected to immediately begin operations.

The NPC is a rapid prototype project developed in response to the United States Transportation Command’s (USTRANSCOM) Joint Urgent Operational Need (JUON) requirement issued on March 28, 2020 for high capacity immediate transport of COVID-19 infected personnel. 

Under the direction of the Air Force Program Executive Office (PEO) for Agile Combat Support (ACS), a team led by the Air Force Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defense Systems Branch and the Joint PEO CBRN Defense drafted the requirements, awarded an other transactional authority (OTA) agreement to the contractor team comprised of UTS Systems, Highland Engineering Inc, and Delta Flight Products and delivered the proof-of-concept NPC in less than 21 days. 

Following a series of tests and the successful demonstration flight of the NPC on April 30, and with the recommendation of PEO ACS, the Commander of Air Mobility Command (AMC) made the decision to proceed with the procurement of the NPC for Inter-Theater Airlift on the C-17 and C-5 aircraft; and the NPCL variant for Intra-Theater Airlift on C-130, C-17 and C-5.

Beginning with a proof-of-concept prototype and ending with a fieldable system that is safe and meets the JUON’s requirements presented a major challenge. 

Teams from Air Mobility Command and the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center’s (AFLCMC) Engineering and Technical Management/Services Directorate, C-17 System Program Office (SPO), C-5 SPO, C-130 SPOs, and Human Systems Division worked directly with the NPC/NPCL program team and contractor to rapidly iterate on the systems’ designs, to compress the normally months to years interwoven engineering, medical, safety, testing, financial, scheduling, and air worthiness processes into less than 30 days.

Working these separate streams at the same time was not for the faint of heart.

“Helping a non-standard defense contractor understand the stringent requirements for air worthiness required an all-hands on deck and an outside of the box teaming strategy,” said Robert David, Chief Engineer for the C-17 SPO.  “Having our engineers and subject matter experts work directly within the finalized design of the NPC/NPCL allowed for concurrent development, production and certification.”

“We worked with the contractors to develop safer seating systems for patients and tested them here at the 711^th Human Performance Wing’s vertical and horizontal crash test facilities,” said Dr. Casey Pirnstill, a research Biomedical Engineer at Air Force Research Laboratory.   “We even had a local church donate personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer so the guys could work in proximity to build the test fixtures.”

This rapid and outside of the box thinking for design was driven by AMC’s continued demand for the NPC and NPCL to facilitate COVID-19 aeromedical evacuation operations around the globe.  While utilizing the lower capacity Transport Isolation System (TIS) and other methods, USTRANSCOM has already transported more than 46 patients and expects the demand to continue to ramp up.

“We had to rapidly understand the inherent limitations we would experience in this rapid development, and help buy down risks to make the system both airworthy as well as safe for operations,” said Peter Christiansen the Chief Engineer for the C-130 in AFLCMC/WLN. “We sent four members of the C-130 team to Howell, Michigan to work directly with the NPCL build contractor Highland Engineering to ensure the delivered NPCL would meet all safety requirements.  Seeing the team come together and work this rapid development was a huge testament to teamwork and made it all possible.”

“One of the biggest hurdles to this process was designing and validating the overall structural integrity of the system through the development of Finite Element Models (FEM) and conducting the associated analysis on these,” added Sean Mortara, a structural analysis technical expert with AFLCMC/EN-EZ.  “Working directly with both NPC and NPCL contractors to develop and modify these designs and models during production was definitely outside of the box, but made it possible to deliver these systems in 30 days.” 

“Our team had to pull together the entire package of risks and requirements for a military flight release, showing that the risks were addressed and this system was ready and safe to fly on military aircraft,” added Rebekah Less a member of the Human System Divisions Sustainment Branch.  “On top of that, we had to develop a sustainment, training, and maintenance package, to ensure the system when it enters operations at the end of June will be ready for the operators to execute missions with confidence.”

The NPC is scheduled for 10 days of ground tests followed by an Operational Utility Evaluation (OUE) C-17 flight.  The NPCL is scheduled for 21 days of ground tests on three different C-130 to include its OUE on a C-130J mid-June.   Follow on evaluations for the C-17 and C-5 aircraft will follow for the other configurations at a future date.

With the conclusion of these OUEs, the systems will enter service and be available to transport COVID-19 patients around the globe for USTRANSCOM.  Subsequent rapid delivery of additional NPC and NPCL units will begin at the end of June, and 30 of each system are expected to be produced. 

Testing will be conducted by a joint team comprised of members of the Air Force CBRN Branch, 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Centers (AFOTEC) Det 2, 417th Flight Test Squadron, aircraft SPOs, AFRL, AMC/SG, AMC/A3V, Army Combat Capability Development Directorate, Army Public Health Center and additional team members.

“This was not how I expected to spend the month of May, but working hand in hand with the contractor team of UTS, HEI and DFP in place at their location in Howell, MI has been a sprint marathon,” said Matt Kilmer from the C-130 Program Office. “But the overwhelming commitment from both the government and contractor teams has been amazing to watch.  Because these teams came together and worked diligently, we will be able to field this critical capability to the warfighter in an amazing short period of time.”

“Providing an unrivaled mobility capability for the nation and our allies is the reason we come to work every day,” commented Col. Scott Ekstrom, Senior Materiel Leader for the C-17 Program Office. “The demand for urgent solutions to current problems is constant.  Supporting an effort like the NPC/NPCL development showcased our teams working together to rapidly effect the safety and security of our Airmen. I couldn’t be prouder of the team.”

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New Zealand's military said Friday it will buy five Super Hercules transport planes from Lockheed Martin for $1 billion.

The planes will replace the military's existing fleet of Hercules, all of which are more than 50 years old and have been involved in a series of embarrassing breakdowns over recent years.

Defense Minister Ron Mark said the new planes will be used for operations in New Zealand, the South Pacific and Antarctica.

“Generations of New Zealanders have grown up and grown old with the Hercules, and they know these aircraft are an essential first line of response," Mark said in a statement.

Three of the nation's current C-130 Hercules planes date back to 1965 and the other two to 1969. They have been upgraded over the years, but frequent breakdowns have hampered some high-profile missions. At one point last year, the entire fleet was temporarily grounded.

New Zealand will take delivery of the first of the new C-130J-30 aircraft in 2024 with the full fleet operating by 2025. The price tag of 1.5 billion New Zealand dollars ($1 billion) includes a flight simulator and supporting infrastructure.

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A U.S. military plane crashed into an Iraqi military base north of the capital on Monday without causing fatalities, the U.S.-led coalition said.

Separately, a rocket landed on the periphery of Baghdad airport, the Iraqi military said, without providing further details. There were no reported casualties or damage.

The crash of the C-130 in Iraq’s Camp Taji injured four servicemen and was deemed an accident, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition Myles Caggins told the Associated Press.

Caggins said the plane had overshot the runway and crashed into a wall, resulting in damage to the aircraft and a small fire.

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