The Air Force’s new HC-130J rescue tanker has successfully finished developmental testing, prime contractor Lockheed Martin announced. The aircraft last week accomplished the final test objective when it mated with a KC-135 tanker in flight to receive fuel. Entering the final assembly line in 2009, this HC-130J airframe rolled out of Lockheed’s assembly plant in Marietta, Ga., last April. The Air Force wants to procure up to 37 HC-130Js to replace its 1960s-era HC-130P fleet on a one-for-one basis. The HC-130J air-to-air refueling sortie also accomplished one of the testing points for the new MC-130J special-mission aircraft that the Air Force also is acquiring, according to Lockheed. The rollout of the first MC-130J from Marietta is planned for later this month. Deliveries of the first HC-130Js and MC-130Js will start in August, with initial operational capability slated in 2012 for both aircraft.
Alaskan Commands Gird for Threats
Aug. 9, 2022
Lt. Gen. David A. Krumm wears many hats as the commander of U.S. Northern Command's Alaskan Command, of 11th Air Force, and of North American Aerospace Defense Command's Alaskan Region. Krumm, who is set to retire, has served as the senior military leader in Alaska since April 2020. In a July interview, Krumm…