C-130J Super Hercules variants gain certification

[Red-Dot]

The old C-130 still going strong!!

"Lockheed Martin has announced that in October its HC-130J Combat King II and MC-130J Commando II aircraft have been certified as ‘effective, suitable and mission capable by the US Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center. The certification is an important milestone for the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) programme to recapitalize the HC, MC and AC-130 gunship fleets with new C-130J variants."

http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/mil-log/c-130j-super-hercules-variants-gain-certification/

 

[amlove21]

I am gonig to pop a massive nerd-boner when that AC-130J gets approved.

 

[BloodStripe]

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-u-s-air-forces-new-ac-130-gunships-are-really-bomb-1584518199

 

[DA SWO]

I am gonig to pop a massive nerd-boner when that AC-130J gets approved.

I'll pop a boner if AFSOC succeds in getting a directed energy weapon developed/fielded.

 

[BloodStripe]

I'll pop a boner if AFSOC succeds in getting a directed energy weapon developed/fielded.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/lockheeds-new-laser-super-turret-could-change-air-comba-1635210849

 

[racing_kitty]

^^^Sproing?

 

[TLDR20]

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/lockheeds-new-laser-super-turret-could-change-air-comba-1635210849

Holy crap that DAS thing looks rad as shit.

 

[Gunz]

We had H models in the NCANG. There is nothing that aircraft can't do. It can fly off aircraft carriers, do LAPES drops, they even had a C-130 aerobatic team back in the 60's. It just keeps getting better and badder. I knew about Harvest Hawk, didn't know about the PSP.

Cornball film from the 1960s about the Four Horsemen:

 

[DA SWO]

My favorite versions.

 

[Gunz]

Closest I get to Herkie Heaven anymore is Clearwater CGAS. 1502, foreground, is about 45 years old

 

[SkrewzLoose]

Heard, then saw one of these (USCG) take off over the house today. Pretty impressive.

 

[DA SWO]

Heard, then saw one of these (USCG) take off over the house today. Pretty impressive.

CG birds take a lot of care due to corrosion issues.
Amazed they run as well as they do.

 

[Gunz]

The cockpit of 1502 is seriously worn. Many butts have frayed the seats over the years, and the instrument panels are pretty beat up. When they upgrade them they totally gut em.

Some more on the MC/HC- J varients. Once on the Lockheed-Martin page you can click on the USAF fact sheet link.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/c130/c-130j-variants/hc-130j-combat-king-ii.html

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/c130/c-130j-variants/mc-130j-commando-ii.html

 

[busdriver]

I am gonig to pop a massive nerd-boner when that AC-130J gets approved.

One can only hope that the HC hard chargers get their way and they gets weapons. It's sad that there seems to be more push in our community to put weapons on the herk (outgoing 563 group commander) than to actually let the 60 dudes train to what we have right now. Sad Panda.... If I could be king for a day....

 

[amlove21]

One can only hope that the HC hard chargers get their way and they gets weapons. It's sad that there seems to be more push in our community to put weapons on the herk (outgoing 563 group commander) than to actually let the 60 dudes train to what we have right now. Sad Panda.... If I could be king for a day....

For sure.

As to the bolded- please don't get me started. I'm not ready to get fired yet.

 

[busdriver]

As to the bolded- please don't get me started. I'm not ready to get fired yet.

Promise the replacement is better, worked for him as a squadron commander in years past. At the very least he's qualified in his assigned aircraft.

 

[Red-Dot]

I always liked the TACAMO birds.

 

[DA SWO]

I always liked the TACAMO birds.

COMMANDO SOLO is an interesting bird, as are the other EC's.

 

[JedisonsDad]

As of right now, the current future of AC-130 Gunships is depressing. They are less gunship, and more bomber. All the teams we have talked to aren't big fans of the AC-130W, and sadly, the AC-130J is supposed to be modeled off of the Whiskey. Right now, the biggest complaint is the lack of a 105mm on the Whiskey. This followed closely by the length of time it takes to launch an SDB or Griffin, the horrible accuracy of the SDB and Griffin, and the lame weapons effects of the 30mm combined with the employment tactics of it as a "machine gun" rather than a "sniper rifle" makes it a less than favorite among the ground guys.

As a Spectre guy, I don't think anything new can ever truly fill the void that we will be leaving in the coming months. The U-model is still a side firing gunship with wonderfull sensors, but it's missing out on a few "luxuries" that only the H could offer, such as the burn and green beam, which we will be taking to the grave with us.

 

[CDG]

As of right now, the current future of AC-130 Gunships is depressing. They are less gunship, and more bomber. All the teams we have talked to aren't big fans of the AC-130W, and sadly, the AC-130J is supposed to be modeled off of the Whiskey. Right now, the biggest complaint is the lack of a 105mm on the Whiskey. This followed closely by the length of time it takes to launch an SDB or Griffin, the horrible accuracy of the SDB and Griffin, and the lame weapons effects of the 30mm combined with the employment tactics of it as a "machine gun" rather than a "sniper rifle" makes it a less than favorite among the ground guys.

As a Spectre guy, I don't think anything new can ever truly fill the void that we will be leaving in the coming months. The U-model is still a side firing gunship with wonderfull sensors, but it's missing out on a few "luxuries" that only the H could offer, such as the burn and green beam, which we will be taking to the grave with us.

That's because the people making the decisions don't understand CAS and they think they're much smarter than those that do. It will always be a pilot's Air Force and the guys on the ground, or that have a primary mission of supporting guys on the ground, will forever be looked at a little askance by the majority of Big Blue.