Posted on 01/05/2016 10:16:42 PM PST by Mariner
ockheed Martin Corp has been awarded a contract worth more than $1 billion for 32 C-130J aircraft, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
The work is expected to be completed by April 2020, the Department of Defense said in its daily digest of major contract awards.
Earlier this year, Lockheed announced that it had reached a verbal agreement with the U.S. Air Force for a five-year contract to build up to 83 C-130J Super Hercules transport planes for the Air Force, Coast Guard and Marine Corps through 2020.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
In military use for over 50 years.
And still none better.
You got that right, none better than what it does.
Can stay aloft for hours and the enemy won’t see or hear the hell that rains down on them from the AC-130.
Same thing with the A-10 Thunderbolt Worthogs good platforms in what they do.
America’s flying bigrig.
I wish I had a dollar for every mile I flew in them.
No need to get rid of either the AC-130 or the A-10.
Can find ways to maintain then at cheaper costs.
The military can cut costs by getting rid of sensitivity training and homo indoctrination training.
When we were about 200 miles out the skipper announced we were running on fumes and there was a strong cross wind over the airstrip.
65kts sustained with gusts to 90kts.
It was already so rough we were all strapped in and getting a bit bruised and tired.
We landed on our 3rd approach, without damage.
We couldn't BUY a drink at that club. The Air Force and civilians there were amazed we even tried. Of course, we had no choice.
The base Commander ordered steak and lobster for the entire crew. Again, we couldn't buy a drink. But we sure got drunk.
What a bird.
One of my brothers was a C-130 Load Master (I think that’s the correct term).
Me too.
Contract for “up to 80.” But this is for just 32. I guess this is just ubama trying to introduce some “common sense controls” on those people who might have control of a weapon.
Oldplayer
This is good. We need more transport aircraft.
Repost - this is the 130 type most likely being use to help the US SecOps forces trapped in Afgan compound:
Note: AFSOC retired the AC-130H Spectre from service in 2014. The Spectre is being replaced with the AC-130J Ghostrider
AC-130J Systems
The weapons kit is essentially the same as that found on the AC-130W Stinger II, namely the Precision Strike Package (PSP). This is a modular package which can see a variety of air-to-ground armaments fitted. These include:
Wing-mounted GBU-39 Small-Diameter Bombs (SDB’s)
Bushmaster II Mk44 30mm gun
Gunslinger weapons system featuring an internally-housed launch tube capable of deploying up to 10 GBU-44/B Viper Strike or Griffin small standoff munitions
Later iterations of the AC-130J weapons package may include a 105mm howitzer, as can be found on existing AC-130H/U models, and wing-mounted laser-guide AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.
The Precision Strike Package also features an array of sensors and targetting systems:
A dual-console mission operator pallet fitted in the cargo bay
2 x dual electro-optical infrared sensor pods
synthetic aperture radar pod
pilot helmet-mounted cueing system
advanced communication suite
Aside from the addtion of the PSP, the Ghostrider is almost identical to the Commando II it derives from. One difference is that while the AC-130J maintains the MC-130J’s ability to refuel from airborne tankers it loses the ability to refuel others.
One important difference between the AC-130J and existing AC-130U gunships is in the realm of armor. The AC-130U Spooky has armor designed to protect crew and critical systems from a strike from a 37 mm high-explosive incendiary at a range of 10,000 feet. The MC-130J, on the other hand, only protects crew stations (excluding the mission operator pallet) and oxygen systems from 7.62mm ball rounds at 100 meters range. Such armor may exclude the Ghostrider from certain low level operations.
AC-130J Ghostrider- Role
The AC-130J will fly close air support (CAS), armed reconnaissance and air interdiction missions. These may include providing on-call CAS to special ops or regular ground forces. The aircraft may also fly base defense missions and convoy escort operations.
The AC-130 requires a “permissive” airspace to operate. ie. no fighter or heavy SAMs. There is a lot of effort right now to keeping the sensor suite updated and extending the weapon range at which the gunship can be effective. The reason: they are vulnerable to shoulder-fired MANPADS.
We’ve lost a few over the years.
None better except that Clinton and Obama wore out so many dragging their useless selves around the world.
One dark and stormy night we were transiting from Guam to Hawaii....
Hopped flights on several Caribou’s and even a C-46 but my only experience on a C-130 was a replacement flight from Okinawa to Da Nang. Just before the half-way point, we lost an engine and turned back, Spent the night in transit barracks at Futenma. Off again the next morning we were down the road a bit when we lost cabin pressure. Briefly fogged up the cargo area. Again we returned to Oki and another night in transit barracks.
Next morning as we saddled up the ship sprung a fuel leak. We were moved off to safe area as repairs were made. Magical third time or not, one way or the other, we were going. White knuckles and all, we arrived in time to hear Good Morning Vietnam over the radio as we moved through the chow line.
Do love the Hercki Bird though.
U.S. Marines Harvest HAWK Gunship Fires Hellfire Missiles.
U.S. Marines conducted a live fire training exercise with Hellfire Missiles in a KC-130J Harvest Hawk aircraft near Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, California. The squadrons conducted the exercise to become more proficient with the aircraft weapons systems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIodcKSIARU
Man was not made to fly sideways on lawn furniture.
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