Held out of action since 1999, USAF says aircraft is now contract-compliant following upgrade programme
The first US Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130Js have embarked on a long-expected maiden combat tour, with the aircraft deployed in early December to undisclosed locations in south-west Asia.
The US military has kept theC-130J Hercules fleet away from action since the first of 35 aircraft in the inventory was delivered in 1999. These first deliveries, acquired under a now-criticised commercial acquisition programme, lacked key go-to-war combat capabilities.
The USAF says the aircraft finally became contract-compliant last summer, with upgrades that enabled the fleet to perform the core tactical airlift mission of the existing Hercules fleet. Even so, Lockheed Martin was tasked to conduct a hasty effort to prepare the aircraft for deployment earlier this month. The activity focused on establishing a deployable logistics base and inspecting defensive systems on board the aircraft.
The debut deployment comes nearly five months after the Department of Defense's inspector general (IG) published a scathing audit report on the C-130J acquisition, asserting that the USAF was allowing Lockheed Martin to deliver non-compliant aircraft, then paying the company more money to achieve the baseline specifications (Flight International, 3-9 August).
USAF officials challenged the IG's conclusions, arguing that Lockheed Martin had assumed the development costs for the C-130J, allowing the air force to buy a less expensive, off-the-shelf product in the late 1990s - albeit an aircraft requiring a lengthy modification programme.
Even the contract-compliant fleet being sent to the combat zone this month are still in line for a major upgrade called Block 5.4 to start later this year.
The latest modifications will enable the C-130J fleet to use its promised advanced capabilities, such as airdropping cargo and troops and performing multi-ship formation flights controlled from the lead aircraft's cockpit.
The deployment to south-west Asia includes aircraft from the Air National Guard's 143rd Airlift Squadron and Air Force Reserve's 815th Airlift Squadron. Althoughit is the first combat deploymentfor the US C-130J fleet, the UK Royal Air Force has already deployed its C-130Js.
STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC
Source: Flight International
