The Air Force’s sixth new-build HC-130J personnel recovery airplane left Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Marietta, Ga., on Thursday, bound for Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., announced the company. Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, Air Education and Training Command’s director of intelligence, operations, and nuclear integration, flew aircraft number 5709 to Davis-Monthan, states the company’s Dec. 6 release. The Air Force has plans to acquire 37 of these specially configured platforms, dubbed Combat King IIs, to replace its legacy HC-130N/P fleet. To date, 15 HC-130Js are on order. The previously completed one departed Marietta for Davis-Monthan on Nov. 29.
The Air Force’s plans for its portion of joint all-domain command and control have taken a major step forward. The service awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, multiple-award contract worth up to $950 million to 27 companies. The IDIQ deal will give 27 contractors the opportunity to compete for work…