The second brand-new HC-130J combat rescue aircraft destined for service with the 347th Rescue Group at Moody AFB, Ga., last week touched down at the base, announced the company. A Moody crew on Aug, 14 ferried this factory-fresh HC-130J from Lockheed Martin’s assembly facility in Marietta, Ga., to the south Georgia installation, states the company’s release. Overall, the 374th RQG is slated to receive nine HC-130Js over the next five years, according to Moody officials. The group’s first HC-130J arrived one month ago. The Air Force plans to procure 37 HC-130Js to replace its legacy HC-130P/Ns. The service’s first combat-ready HC-130J arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., in November.
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.