The fifth new-build HC-130J rescue tanker slated for the 347th Rescue Group at Moody AFB, Ga., has arrived at the base, SSgt. Eric Summers, 23rd Wing spokesman, told Air Force Magazine on Monday. The Air Force plans to base nine Lockheed Martin-built HC-130Js at Moody; with the May 8 delivery, the group is now beyond the halfway point. Moody received its first HC-130J in July 2013 and its second the following month. The group’s third HC-130J arrived in late March of this year; its fourth touched down on April 29, said Summers.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.