Latest news with #C-130H
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buying KC-130Js Key To Navy's Ability To Fight In Pacific: Reserve Boss
The head of the U.S. Navy Reserve says that acquiring new C-130J Hercules aircraft is a top priority, particularly because of the critical organic aerial refueling capacity they could provide in a future Pacific fight. The Navy currently relies on U.S. Air Force tankers to provide aerial refueling support, fleets that are already strained by non-combat demands. Aging Navy Reserve C-130Ts already play key, if largely unsung, air refueling and logistics roles, including supporting deployed carrier strike groups by moving munitions, spare parts, and other cargoes to forward locations on land. Chief of Navy Reserve Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore talked about the importance of new C-130Js, and of timely funding to purchase them, at multiple points during a hearing before members of the House Appropriations Committee yesterday. The Navy Reserve has 16 C-130Ts and 11 KC-130Ts, the latter of which are capable of being used as tankers, according to Naval Air Systems Command's (NAVAIR) website at the time of writing. Five more KC-130Ts are also in service with Navy test and evaluation units. The KC/C-130Ts first began entering Navy and Marine Corps service in the 1980s, and the latter service retired the last of its T variant Hercules aircraft in 2021 after transitioning to the more capable and otherwise improved J model. 'The C-130 is our number one equipment priority, and we are behind … for that recapitalization effort,' Lacore said. 'We started this recap journey in 2024, and we're behind … The plan was to be at 32 [C-130J] aircraft by 2030. We got one in [the budget in Fiscal Year 20]24, two in [Fiscal Year 20]25, and we're super grateful for them. But right now, for the out years, we need to be looking at six per year in order to get us where we need to go.' 'We have 27 aircraft right now, the Tangos, with an average age of 34 years and a mission-capable rate of 40 percent,' Lacore added. With new C-130Js, 'we also anticipate a 75 percent mission-capable rate, which will go a long way,' as well as 'doubling our sortie rate' and 'getting three times the service radius in combat.' With a typical payload, the maximum ranges of the C-130H, from which the C-130T is derived, and the C-130J are 1,208 miles and 2,071 miles, respectively, per the U.S. Air Force. Total weight, including internal fuel, as well as operational considerations and other factors, all affect an aircraft's useful combat radius. The C-130J also has a higher top speed and altitude ceiling than the C-130H or T, which can help extend range, as well as reduce the time required to get from one point to another. It is worth noting that a portion of the Navy's KC/C-130T fleet has received new eight-bladed NP2000 propellers and other upgrades, as have certain Air Force C-130Hs, which do provide more limited performance and fuel efficiency boosts, as you can read more about here. Navy E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning and control planes and C-2 Greyhound carrier onboard delivery (COD) aircraft also feature NP2000 propellers. At the hearing yesterday, Lacore explicitly highlighted the benefits the J model Hercules aircraft offer when it comes to improving the Navy Reserve's ability to provide aerial refueling support, as well as dispense fuel on the ground at forward locations. She further noted how this could be particularly valuable for future operations across the broad expanses of the Pacific. 'The PACFLT [U.S. Pacific Fleet] commander has already asked us for, you know, to work on organic aerial refueling, and we are doing that with the Tangos, but it's a long haul. They're not all plumbed for that,' Lacore said. As noted, less than half of the aircraft in the existing Navy Reserve C-130 fleet are KC-130T tankers. 'The Juliets will come with that plumbing already established,' Lacore continued. 'We anticipate with that [to be able to provide] at least two times the aerial refueling rate. And if we include ground refueling as well, we're looking at probably eight times our refueling capability in theater, which is which will be a huge win for us in the Pacific.' Navy C-130Js configured tankers, like the current KC-130Ts, will only be able to refuel aircraft using the probe-and-drogue method, at least as presently planned. Probe-and-drogue is the preferred means of aerial refueling for Navy and Marine Corps aircraft. It is also used by aerial refueling-capable U.S. Army and Air Force helicopters, as well as CV-22 Ospreys belong to the latter service. The Air Force prefers the boom method for refueling its fixed-wing aircraft. Lacore further highlighted how the C-130Js will come with more advanced defensive features than are found on the KC/C-130Ts, which will allow the Navy Reserve to operate the aircraft in more dangerous environments. As mentioned, the Navy, overall, currently relies heavily on the Air Force to provide aerial refueling support during combat operations, as well as peacetime training and other activities. The Navy is currently pressing ahead with plans to add new MQ-25 Stingray tanker drones to its carrier air wings. At the same time, the service does not expect to field the MQ-25 in significant numbers until the 2030s. Even then, the uncrewed tankers will not eliminate demand for additional aerial refueling support, especially in a large-scale conflict. After U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released a video showing an Air Force HC-130J Combat King II aircraft refueling a Navy E-2D Hawkeye somewhere in the Middle East, TWZ highlighted the relevance of C-130-based tankers, as well as other smaller aerial refueling aircraft, in a Pacific scenario. The HC-130J is a combat search and rescue (CSAR) aircraft that is also configured to act as a tanker, primarily for CSAR helicopters. As we wrote: 'The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps are both refining new concepts of operations that focus heavily on expeditionary and distributed operations and rapid deployment to remote and/or austere forward locations with minimal support as part of preparations for a potential high-end conflict, especially one against China.' 'The ability to operate from shorter runways and with a lower logistic footprint, as well as being able to get gas once in the air from smaller propeller-driven tankers, or even future drones like the MQ-25 Stingray, would be more relevant than ever in the context of an island-hopping campaign.' A @USNavy E-2D refuels inflight from an @usairforce HC-130 over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 6, 2024 Forward operations at far-flung locations with shorter runways could create additional need for aerial refueling. For instance, tactical jets might need to take off with less fuel to be able to get airborne with a full ordnance load, and then immediately link up with a tanker to top up. Tankers orbiting closer to forward bases could help fast jets low on fuel make it back safely after missions, as well. Navy C-130 tankers would be limited to offloading fuel in flight via the probe-and-drogue method, but this could, in turn, help alleviate operational strain, even during peacetime, on boom-equipped Air Force tankers. In a future large-scale conflict, Navy tactical jets could find themselves at forward bases on land together with their Marine counterparts, and additional tankers could help ease demands on the latter service's KC-130Js. Tankers, in general, are expected to be in extremely high demand during any future high-end fight, and those aircraft will also be targets for enemy forces. All of this further reinforces the value of the Navy providing additional organic aerial refueling support. In addition, Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore said yesterday that new C-130Js will help the Navy Reserve improve its ability to perform its logistics airlift mission, which could also be very relevant in a future conflict in the Pacific region. She pointed out that Navy C-130Ts had already been an important part of the supply chain to get munitions and other materiel to Navy carrier strike groups during recent operations in and around the Red Sea. 'The C-130 Tango Hercules, operated exclusively by the Reserve, is the Navy's only long-range intertheater airlift [asset] for oversized cargo. This capability is in high demand from Fleet commanders, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, playing a critical role in the contested logistics necessary to sustain a maritime fight,' Lacore explained. 'Last year, Navy Reserve airlift transported more than 80,000 passengers and 20 million pounds of cargo, sustaining carrier strike groups in every theater, delivering salvage teams, resupplying critical munitions, and providing repair parts to keep F-35 flying in the Pacific and Aegis destroyers on station in the Red Sea.' 'Over the past few months, Reserve C-130 crews transported thousands of pounds of ordnance into the Red Sea fight, keeping our ships on station' so they could continue 'intercepting Houthi missiles, conducting precision strikes, and safeguarding global commerce,' she added. New C-130Js are 'critical to ensuring that we can effectively and safely carry out the critical intertheater logistics missions for the fleet.' The Air Force also currently provides the bulk of all fixed-wing airlift capacity across the U.S. military, something that would also be in high demand for moving personnel and material across the Pacific during a future conflict in the region. Overall, the Navy Reserve's continued push to replace its KC/C-130Ts with new C-130Js is not just about modernization, but reflects the service's growing view that those aircraft will play a critical role in any future fight in the Pacific. In the meantime, the aging T variants will continue providing already important aerial refueling and airlift support. Contact the author: joe@
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Guard's importance remains undimished
As the Air Guard goes, so goes St. Joseph. This isn't mere hyperbole. The 139th Airlift Wing has grown into a top 5 employer in St. Joseph with a $215 million economic impact in fiscal year 2024. With so much talk of job creation, it's easy to forget the Wing's primary mission is delivery of military and humanitarian support across the globe. But the economic benefits are impossible to ignore. That's why the flood of 1993 – which produced an indelible image of a C-130 plane surrounded by water – shocked the community into doing everything possible to support the Wing and solidify its future at Rosecrans Memorial Airport. Local, state and federal officials have collaborated to strengthen levees, upgrade runways, build a new tower, and relocate critical infrastructure out of the flood zone. These investments have paid off, but news late last month brought a flood of disappointment. The Air Force selected a Wyoming Air National Guard base in Cheyenne for the C-130J Super Hercules, an upgrade to the aging fleet of C-130H aircraft. Those same C-130H models are the workhorse of the Guard unit at Rosecrans. Last month's announcement marks the second time the Air Force has bypassed Rosecrans for the J model, which climbs faster, flies farther at a higher cruise speed and requires less distance for take-off and landing. Maybe the Wyoming unit made the best proposal or maybe its congressional delegation had more pull. The Wyoming Guard could make a case for the J model's advantages in suppressing western wildfires, an angle the 139th would be less able to play. What's certain is that the decision doesn't change the calculus of the 139th Airlift Wing, its importance to St. Joseph and the work that its men and women do every day. An upgrade to the J model should remain a priority for our congressional delegation. We believe that this latest setback will one day be viewed in same light as the 1993 flood. A bad moment, but opportunity often follows disappointment. The Clay County Royals? When it comes to the future of the Royals and the Chiefs, St. Joseph doesn't have a dog in that fight. For St. Joseph, it doesn't matter where the teams play as long as it's somewhere in the KC metro. However, one potential site for the Royals – a location in Clay County --- offers several advantages. That site is said to be under consideration. An MLB game in north Kansas City would shave about 20 minutes off the drive from St. Joseph compared to a trip to the Truman Sports Complex. For St. Joseph, the benefits would extend beyond gameday. One reason St. Joseph hasn't grown is that Kansas City is expanding in the opposite direction – to the southwest in Johnson County, Kansas. Anything that pushes KC metro development to the north will benefit St. Joseph, even in years when the Royals are in the cellar.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Air Force Reservists welcomed home from deployment Tuesday
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Tuesday, April 29, loved ones gathered at the Colorado Springs (COS) Airport to welcome home deployed members of the 302d Airlift Wing of the United States Air Force Reserve. Flights were scheduled to land at 4:43 p.m. and 5:53 p.m., carrying 14 Citizen Airmen who have been deployed to multiple locations in Southwest Asia. In total, thirty-nine Air Force Reservists from the 302d Airlift Wing's 39th Aerial Port Squadron have been deployed for the past six months. The Reservists are transportation specialists who processed cargo and passengers at aerial port facilities in support of U.S. Central Command. Located at Peterson Space Force Base with a Total Force of more than 1,300 personnel, the Air Force Reserve 302d Airlift Wing trains, equips, and employs C-130H aircraft airlift forces in worldwide support of the nation's interests. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Korea Herald
15-04-2025
- Korea Herald
S. Korea to join multinational air exercise in UAE
South Korea will join an annual multinational exercise in the United Arab Emirates this month designed to train troops on combined air operations in the desert, the Air Force said Tuesday. The three-week Desert Flag exercise will begin at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE on Monday, involving service members from 13 countries, including the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia, according to the armed service. South Korea will send a team of some 30 Air Force personnel and a C-130H transport aircraft for the exercise, which will include training on low-altitude infiltrations, cargo drops and tactical landing operations. The Air Force said the exercise will also involve service members from South Korea's Akh unit stationed in the UAE for joint high-altitude parachuting drills. South Korea has participated in Desert Flag since 2023. (Yonhap)
