The US Navy (USN) has bolstered its air-to-air refuelling capacity with an approval for updated Lockheed Martin KC-130T tactical transports to refuel a wider range of aircraft.
The approval allows Navy Reserve-operated KC-130Ts equipped with the updated NP2000 propeller to refuel several fresh types, according to the Naval Air Systems Command.
USN types cleared to tank from the updated KC-130T include the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, Lockheed Martin F-35B/C, and Sikorsky H-60 series helicopters.
US Marine Corps assets such as the Boeing AV-8B Harrier fighter and Sikorsky CH-53K helicopter, as well as the US Army’s Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter, have also been cleared to refuel from the updated type.
The testing work came as a result of a request by the US Pacific fleet. In a potential conflict with China in the vast Asia-Pacific region, air-to-air refuelling will be an extremely important capability for the US and its allies.
The clearances follow testing work by engineers from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, as well as military test pilots from Air Test and Evaluation Sqn VX-20.
Prior to the testing work, only the Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey was cleared to refuel from KC-130Ts equipped with the NP2000.
The eight-bladed NP2000 is produced by RTX unit Collins Aerospace as a replacement for the type’s legacy four-bladed propellers. Collins says that the NP2000 reduces noise and vibrations while boosting reliability and performance.
FlightGlobal’s World Air Forces 2025 directory indicates that the USN operates 11 KC-130Ts.
“If we look forward to any future fight, it’s going to take intense collaboration between all of the forces: Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard,” says USN Captain Elizabeth Sommerville.
“Any resource that provides fuel airborne is going to be invaluable to all assets that are flying.”
HAWAII AIR NATIONAL GUARD REFUELS INDONESIAN F-16S
The Hawaii Air National Guard’s 203rd Air Refuelling Sqn (ARS) has completed training work where its Boeing KC-135Rs refuelled Lockheed Martin F-16s of the Indonesian air force.
The work, which took place in Indonesia, saw 21 Indonesian pilots attain air-to-air refuelling qualifications during 40 F-16 sorties.
“For many of us, this mission isn’t just about fuel transfers – it’s about trust, adaptability, and building a foundation for future interoperability,” says First Lieutenant Alison Bowman, a pilot with the 203rd ARS.
“Through pre- and post-mission briefings, we are exchanging air refuelling tactics, techniques, and procedures to enhance operational efficiency.”
