First HC-130J Rescue Bird

Sept. 27, 2011

Lockheed Martin turned over the first HC-130J Combat King II personnel recovery aircraft to Air Combat Command. Gen. Norton Schwartz, Chief of Staff, ferried the new aircraft from Lockheed’s production facility in Marietta, Ga., to Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., where it will join the 79th Rescue Squadron. “This is such a significant milestone for the personnel recovery community. The capabilities of the new HC-130J are a magnitude greater than any of its predecessors,” said Schwartz after touching down on Sept. 24 with the airplane. The J model is capable of being refueled in flight and boasts feature like new electro-optical sensors, improved navigation, and enhanced-life wing structures. ACC’s 1965-vintage HC-130P/N fleet will gradually retire as J models enter the inventory. Air Force officials expect HC-130Js to begin regular duty at Davis-Monthan in early 2013. The Air Force has 11 HC-130Js on order, but plans to procure 37 in total. (Davis-Monthan report by A1C Nicholas Benroth) (Lockheed release)

Related Content

30 Years After Desert Storm: Feb. 26

Feb. 25, 2021
In commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm, Air Force Magazine is posting daily recollections from the six-week war, which expelled Iraq from occupied Kuwait.

Ray Claims Big Success with Bomber Task Forces

Feb. 25, 2021
The new Bomber Task Force concept is operationally successful, and is also a hit with aircrews, whose morale has increased with the flurry of short-term visits to nontraditional bomber destinations like India and Norway, Global Strike Command chief Gen. Timothy M. Ray said Feb. 25. Fresh from briefing Congress on…

TacAir Study Will Determine If F-35 Production Surge Needed

Feb. 25, 2021
The Air Force's new tactical aviation study will determine if a surge in F-35 production is needed in order to buy out the planned 1,763 airplanes before the 2040s. But that decision also will depend on funding, contractor capacity, and the need for complementary aircraft, including the new Next-Generation Air…

Watch: Raymond and deGrasse Tyson Talk Space

Feb. 25, 2021
At the Air Force Association's virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium on Feb. 25, Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond laid out in plain language the serious threats facing U.S. and allied space capabilities. In a spirited discussion with renowned author and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, the space Chief…

USAF Considering Pilot Training Changes to Curb Flight Accidents

Feb. 25, 2021
The Air Force is considering changes to its pilot curriculum to curb the rising number of aviation accidents across the service, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. said Feb. 25. The Air Force saw 72 accidents in fiscal 2020—10 more than in the previous year, Air Force Magazine…

For Military Superiority in Space, Start with Safety

Feb. 25, 2021
The U.S. military has worked in space for decades, providing GPS to the masses and bouncing combat messages through satellites to troops around the world. In some ways, though, the Space Force feels like it's starting from scratch. Officials are looking for ways to keep space safe and maintain an…

USAF Leaders Send Videos, Instructions to Units for Extremism Stand Down

Feb. 25, 2021
Department of the Air Force leadership has distributed videos and instructions for how local commanders can hold their Defense Department-ordered one-day stand down to focus on extremism, with the goal of small group discussions on core values in service. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., speaking…

How Airmen and Aircraft Helped Move U.S. Forces Out of Somalia

Feb. 25, 2021
The withdrawal of about 700 U.S. forces from Somalia required a massive nocturnal airlift, movement of fighters and tankers from the Middle East, and other overwatch from drones and other special operations aircraft, all planned and executed within weeks. The mission, called Operation Octave Quartz, came after former President Donald…