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World Aviation Defense & Security News - United States
 
 
Lockheed delivers additional MC-130J Commando II to the AFSOC
 
A U.S. Air Force crew accepted delivery of an MC-130J Commando II at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta on Aug. 11. This MC-130J Commando II multimission combat transport/special operations tanker is assigned to the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
     
Lockheed delivers additional MC 130J Commando II to the AFSOC 640 001A Lockheed's MC-130J Commando II multimission transport/tanker aircraft
(Credit: Lockheed Martin)
     
As it replaces legacy MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft, the MC-130J provides AFSOC with a modern aircraft capable of worldwide employment for missions requiring clandestine single- or multi-ship, low-level aerial refueling of special operation force vertical and tilt-rotor aircraft; and/or infiltration, resupply and exfiltration by airdrop or landing on remote airfields.

The MC-130J is the first C-130 specifically built for special operations, making it lighter and more efficient. A total of 37 MC-130J aircraft are programmed to replace all other MC-130 variants by the end of fiscal year 2017.

Production of the first MC-130J aircraft, AF Ser. No. 09-6207, was started at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Marietta, Georgia, on October 5, 2009 and undertook its initial test flight on 22 April 2011.
 

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