2021
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LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Aircraft maintenance units at Little Rock Air Force Base recently turned toward implementing Torque, a software suite of tools and applications, as part of an effort to streamline processes and efficiency to improve productivity across the units and installation. In an effort to align with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles. Q. Brown Jr.’s Action Order Delta: Design Implementation, Torque was first introduced within one of 19th AMXS’s smaller sections, allowing users to see firsthand how the software could potentially replace their dated databases. Designed and developed by Kessel Run, the U.S. Air Force’s product developme…
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Three US Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, have arrived in Kenitra, Morocco, for exercise African Lion. The C-130 crews will train alongside their Moroccan counterparts to hone critical airdrop, airlift and aeromedical evacuation capabilities while enhancing interoperability with the Moroccans, the US Air Force said after the aircraft arrived on 9 June. “African Lion is an incredible opportunity for our Airmen to work shoulder-to-shoulder with our Moroccan partners as we develop essential capabilities for our forces,” said General Jeff Harrigian, US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa commander. “…
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The U.S. Air Force needs industry’s help to transition software onboard C-130s to a DevSecOps approach to allow easier, more frequent updates. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Air Mobility Command is assessing contractors’ abilities to provide a cloud-native, agile software development platform for the four-engine turboprop transport aircraft in service since the 1950s, according to a request for information posted Feb. 18. Under the proposal, the companies would plan the best way to transition legacy C-130 software to the DevSecOps rapid software development process, with releases in iterative cycles. “The end goal is to establish a lean, user-centere…
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The US Navy (USN) is accelerating plans to field the Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules in the Take Charge And Move Out (TACAMO) survivable nuclear communications role, with increased funding requested in the service's fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget proposal. The proposal released earlier in June lays out an accelerated plan to procure three C-130J-30 aircraft as test assets for the Boeing E-6B Mercury long-endurance command, control, and communications (C3) aircraft replacement programme. “The E-6 Recapitalization Program (E-XX) provides for air vehicle replacement and mission systems moderni ation for the aging E-6B aircraft and TACAMO mission,” the proposal sai…
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C-130 Pilots Test Out ‘Entirely New’ Cockpit For Aging ‘H’ Models Oct. 17, 2023 | By David Roza Pilots at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., are testing out a new cockpit layout for the C-130H transport plane that will replace its analog gauges with glass multifunction displays, digital engine instruments, a new flight management system, autopilot, terrain awareness and warning system and other digital upgrades that should make the aircraft safer and easier to fly. “This is much larger than just a software or hardware upgrade,” Maj. Jacob Duede, an experimental test pilot with the 417th Flight Test Squadron, said in an Oct. 17 press release. “It’s reconstru…
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C-130 Seaplane Should Fly In 2023 Says Air Force Special Ops Commander Faced with a potential fight against China across vast swaths of ocean, the amphibious C-130 could soon finally become a reality. byHoward Altman| PUBLISHED Sep 21, 2022 4:32 PM Howard AltmanView howard altman's Articles An amphibious version of the special operations MC-130J Commando II multi-mission combat transport should take flight by next year, the head of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) said Tuesday. "We're awaiting the outcome of the 23 [Fiscal Year 2023] budget process that continues to work its way through the Hill right now," Lt. Gen. James…
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C-130J Super Hercules aircraft being prepped for debut at Kentucky Air Guard By Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton, 123rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs / Published November 05, 2021 PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 1 of 7 An Airman from the 123rd Maintenance Group observes the freshly-applied tail art of one of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s newly acquired C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at Channel Islands Air Guard Station in Port Hueneme, Calif., Nov. 3, 2021. The aircraft is replacing the C-130H Hercules, which has been in service to the Kentucky Air National Guard since 1992. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton) PRINT | E-MAIL …
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Combat King II upgrades propel C2 to new heights February 2, 2024 (by SrA Deanna Muir ) - Command and control are vital for efficient decision-making, coordination, and communication within organizations, enabling adaptability to changing situations. A new combat systems officer station shell sits on a table at Moody AFB on January 25, 2024. Combat systems officers are typically responsible for the operation and coordination of weapons and sensor systems on aircraft, navigation, target identification and overall mission planning. The station and software upgrades will support Link 16, a tactical data network system that can establish communication betwe…
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By Rachel S. Cohen Oct 11, 06:51 PM Members of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing take part in the inactivation ceremony of the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 28. The 41st EECS operated the EC-130H Compass Call aircraft, conducting electronic warfare for just under 20 years in U.S. Central Command before being officially inactivated. (Master Sgt. Wolfram Stumpf/Air Force) After almost 20 years as a shadowy player in the War on Terror, the Air Force’s squadron of EC-130H electronic warfare planes is leaving its longtime home at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. The 41st E…
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Connecticut Guard upgrades C-130H fleet June 24, 2021 (by MSgt. Tamara Dabney) - The Connecticut Air National Guard, home of the 103rd Airlift Wing ‘Flying Yankees’, is upgrading its fleet of C-130H Hercules aircraft. The first of seven H3 model C-130s arrived at Bradley Air National Guard Base in June 2021. The H3s will replace the Connecticut Guard’s current fleet of aircraft, which consists of H1 models. http://s9.addthis.com/button0-rss.gif http://s9.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif The avionics packages of the C-130H1 and C-130H3 aircraft are displayed, side-by-side, June 2, 2021, at B…
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DARPA nabs Gremlin drone in midair for first time By Stephen Losey Friday, Nov 5 An X-61 Gremlin drone and a C-130 conduct a flight test by DARPA at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah on Oct. 29, 2021. During the flight test, DARPA said it successfully recovered a Gremlin in midair for the first time. (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) WASHINGTON — For the first time, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency recovered an unmanned X-61 Gremlin air vehicle to a C-130 in flight, marking a milestone in the U.S. military’s effort to deploy swarms of drones from a mothership. The first successful midair Gremlin recovery took place Oct. 29 at D…
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Farewell to the EC-130J Commando Solo III, the plane of the USAF for psychological operations9·19·2022 · 6:53 0 Last Saturday, September 17, one of the most unknown specialized military aircraft of all those in the US made its last flight. That day, the 193rd Special Operations Wing of the United States Air Force (USAF), a unit attached to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, made its last broadcast flight with its Lockheed EC-130J Commando Solo III, a plane specialized in psychological operations (PsyOps), that is, it is dedicated to broadcasting messages whose purpose is to persuade the enemy. An EC-130J Commando Solo III photographed from a KC-135T a…
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Final RAF C-130J mission set for 17 June as Hercules retirement nears By Dominic Perry17 April 2023 The UK’s long history as an operator of the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules will all but come to an end on 17 June when the Royal Air Force (RAF) performs its final mission with the type. Consisting of a three-ship fly-past as part of the King’s Birthday celebrations, the sortie will be a bittersweet moment ahead of the official retirement of the RAF’s remaining J-model aircraft on 30 June. Defence officials announced in 2021’s Integrated Review that the 15-strong C-130J fleet would be retired by 2023 due to cost savings, with operations transitioning…
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Our First Look At An AC-130J Ghostrider Gunship’s New 105mm Gun The Air Force’s AC-130J Ghostrider gunships have begun receiving replacements for their Vietnam War-era 105mm howitzers. byJoseph Trevithick, Oliver ParkenAug 31, 2022 6:49 PM An AC-130J Ghostrider gunship assigned to the 17th Special Operation Squadron fitted with a new 105mm howitzer, with insets showing a close-up of the howitzer and prototype of the design. USAF/ USN Photos from a recent event at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, provide our first look at a U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostride…
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Some of these are aircraft that were at Maxwell and went to AMARG a few years ago. The idea being retire them while they still had time left on the CWB and could still be sold off to FMS. First of five C-130Hs delivered to the Polish Air Force In September 2019, the Polish Ministry of Defense issued a Letter of Request to the US for acquiring five C-130H transport aircraft. On 13 April 2021, the Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blasczak signed a government-to-government contract with the US for the delivery of these five Lockheed C-130H Hercules' to the Sily Powietrzne RP (Polish Air Force). This contract is part of the US Excess Defense Articles gra…
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Four More Guard Wings Tapped for Upgrade to C-130J Sept. 14, 2023 | By Greg Hadley The Air Force has selected four more Air National Guard wings to transition to the new C-130J Super Hercules, a key inflection point as the Guard modernizes. The C-130Js feature a roomier, “stretched” fuselage, more powerful engines with composite six-blade propellers, and digital avionics and mission computers. That means J’s can fly faster, higher, and farther than the C-130H. The four wings receiving new C-130Js in place of H-models: 103rd Airlift Wing, in Connecticut 120th Airlift Wing, in Montana 133rd Airlift Wing, in Minnesota …
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Great News from Keesler Air Force Base The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, also known as the "Hurricane Hunters," is going retro with their aircraft's paint design. The first of ten WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft arrived at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., on April 5th 2022 with a new paint job and the historic "Weather" tail marking. "Prior to 2007, the squadron's aircraft all had glossy gray paint, which was utilized on weather reconnaissance aircraft primarily for its durability, longevity, and efficiency," said Lt. Col. Erik Olson, head of operations for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. "It also distinguishes our platform from c…
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Guard, Reserve would get 20 more C-130J transport aircraft under budget deal By Stephen Losey Mar 9, 01:17 PM WASHINGTON — The proposed budget bill that would fund the U.S. government for the rest of fiscal 2022 provides funding for 20 more C-130J Super Hercules aircraft for the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. Sixteen of the added C-130Js would go to the Air National Guard to modernize two operational wings at an additional cost of $1.8 billion, according to a summary of the omnibus spending bill released by congressional appropriators Wednesday. The remaining four, which would add $429 million to the spending bill, would go to the Reser…
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Harvest HAWK + reaches full operational capability Published: Sep 20, 2021 The Tactical Airlift Program Office (PMA-207) KC-130J integrated product team successfully completed full operational capability. The 10th and final aircraft modified to the Harvest Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit (HAWK) Plus (HH+) configuration was delivered to the Fleet Marine Forces, Aug. 26. The aircraft modifications were part of the Marine Corps KC-130J Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) / Weapons Mission Kit program that began in 2015. The program improved the existing Marine Corp KC-130J Harvest HAWK system by integrating the MX-20 electro-op…
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Here’s What Units Will Move to Davis-Monthan to Join AFSOC’s New Power Projection Wing Aug. 2, 2023 | By Greg Hadley The Air Force unveiled plans for the new 492nd Power Projection Wing that will replace the A-10 mission at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on Aug. 2, describing for the first time which units will be included. The new wing will be part of Air Force Special Operations Command and draw units from around the country. The 492nd Special Operations Wing will be re-missioned and re-designated, providing the headquarters element; it will relocate to Arizona from Hurlburt Field, Fla., where it is has led AFSOC’s training and education effort…
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How Air Force maintainers achieved a rare perfect inspection on a 49-year-old aircraft “This rarely happens, especially on an aircraft nearly a half-century old.” By David Roza | Published Sep 28, 2022 10:38 AM Airmen assigned to the 755th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron celebrate their achievements in getting an EC-130H Compass Call to zero discrepancies at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, Aug. 17, 2022. (Staff Sgt. Kristine Legate/U.S. Air Force). Johnnie Walker has its Black Label whiskey; American Express has its Black Card; and Metallica and Jay-Z each have their own Black Albums. But when it comes to maintaining aircraft i…
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Kentucky Air National Guard recognized during the arrival of new C-130 aircrafts By Crystal Sicard Kentucky PUBLISHED 4:30 PM ET Nov. 06, 2021 LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Air National Guard was selected to receive new Hercules aircrafts. Gov. Andy Beshear and Senator Mitch McConnell celebrated the service members for the high recognition Saturday morning. The Kentucky Air National Guard received the newest version of the Hercules aircraft Saturday morning. Governor Andy Beshear spoke during the event, thanking the guardmembers for their hard work. “Today is the day where you get to accept a little bit of validation. Validation that the federal…
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L3Harris Powers on First U.S. Air Force AMP INC 2 Aircraft Key milestone reached on road to delivery of first prototype aircraft. Integrated Mission Systems Feb 28, 2022 L3Harris recently achieved the “power-on” milestone for the first of three prototype aircraft under the U.S. Air Force Avionics Modernization Program Increment 2 (AMP INC 2). Additional…
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Last C-130H rolls down the stretch at Kentucky Air Guard Photo By Staff Sgt. Joshua Horton LOUISVILLE, KY, UNITED STATES 09.24.2021 Story by Lt. Col. Allison Stephens The last C-130H aircraft assigned to the 123rd Airlift Wing departed the Kentucky Air National Guard Base here today for its new home at the Delaware Air Guard. On site to see it off were dozens of maintainers, aircrew and a former crew chief for the aircraft, which is named after Kentucky Derby winner Exterminator. Chief Master Sgt. Patrick Crosier was the plane’s dedicated crew chief for seven years, starting in 2001. He said its departure is bittersweet. “I’…
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Posted By: Larry Felton Johnson August 24, 2021 Lockheed Martin was awarded a $328 million five-year contract with the Indian Air Force to support the IAF’s fleet of 12 C-130J-30 Super Hercules Aircraft. The C-130 series is built at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta facility in Cobb County. “As the C-130 OEM, Lockheed Martin brings forth an outstanding team of experts who offer deep knowledge and unmatched insights of the C-130 to our operators,” said Rod McLean, vice president and general manager, Air Mobility & Maritime Missions, Lockheed Martin. “It is an honor to continue to partner with the Indian Air Force to support one of the most active C-130…
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