Lockheed Martin reached an impressive milestone in recent days by delivering its 2,700th C-130 Hercules aircraft.
The military transport aircraft, which also performs different types of missions, has been in service since 1956, therefore approaching 70 years of uninterrupted activity.
The historic example is a KC-130J Super Hercules tanker that will be operated by the U.S. Marine Corps Air Refueler Transport Squadron 252 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.
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According to Lockheed, there are currently 70 countries where the Hercules is in service. In the US Marine Corps, the KC-130J’s mission is to refuel various aircraft such as the F-35B/C Lightning II fighter and also helicopters, thanks to its ability to fly at slow speeds and low altitudes.
“The Lockheed Martin team is honored to deliver this milestone Super Hercules to the U.S. Marine Corps, where it will be part of the largest KC-130J fleet in the world and provide true force amplification across the globe,” said Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Air Mobility & Maritime Missions line of business. “Not only does this Hercules represent the 2,700th C-130 delivered, but it also reflects the inherent mission and performance adaptability that fuels the C-130’s ongoing relevance.”
The C-130J variant was developed by Lockheed Martin from 1994 with the aim of improving and updating the aircraft. The Super Hercules received new engines, six-bladed propellers, a new flight deck and systems.
The variant’s fleet brings together more than 540 turboprops from 26 operators in 22 countries.
Competition in the West
Since its appearance, the C-130 Hercules has been almost unanimous in Western militaries. Only in the former Soviet Union and China did a similar model have such significant production, the Antonov An-12.
France and Germany even put a turboprop of similar size into service, the Transall C-160, but 214 aircraft were completed in 20 years of production.
Currently, Embraer offers the C-390 Millennium, an aircraft that surpasses the C-130J in several aspects, especially in performance as it is powered by V2500 turbofans.
However, the Brazilian airlifter has so far received 40 firm orders from seven countries.
