The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is an upgraded variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft featuring new engines, a new flight deck, and additional technologies. The tactical component of the airlift mission is primarily carried out by the C-130 Hercules, which can operate from unimproved dirt strips and is the main aircraft used to airdrop troops and equipment into dangerous regions. One aircraft may serve as several distinct aircraft because of Hercules’ adaptable design, which enables it to be adapted for a wide range of tasks.
Its design enables quick reconfiguration for a variety of loads, including palletized equipment, floor-loaded freight, airdrop platforms, container delivery system bundles, and aeromedical evacuation.
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Upgradation
The most recent C-130 to join the fleet, the C-130J, has taken over for some of the older C-130Hs and elderly C-130Es. The C-130J Super Hercules is the most advanced C-130 ever designed, with more than 2 million flying hours of proven performance supporting tactical airlift, search and rescue, special operations, and refueling missions across the world.
Also Read: List Of Transport Aircraft Carriers Used By Indian Armed Forces
Specifications
| Crew | 3 (two pilots and one loadmaster are minimum crew) |
| Payload Main | 42,000 lb (19,051 kg) |
| Max takeoff weight | 155,000 lb (70,307 kg) |
| Powerplant | 4 ×Rolls Royce 2100 AE engines |
| Propellers | 6-bladed Dowty R391 composite constant-speed fully-feathering reversible-pitch propellers |
| Cruise Speed | 644 km/h |
| Range | 3,300 km at max normal payload |
| Service Ceiling | 28,000 ft with 42,000 lb |
Operational History
The USAF and USMC have made substantial use of the Super Hercules in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, Canada has sent CC-130J planes to Afghanistan.
During the 2011 Libyan civil war, C-130Js from various nations were sent to assist US Operation Odyssey Dawn and NATO’s Operation Unified Protector.
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Over 290 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, operated by 13 nations, surpassed 1 million flying hours between the inaugural flight on 5 April 1996 and 30 April 2013. In their cockpit displays, some of Canada’s CC-130J transports were found to have fake Chinese microchips created by an American Lockheed contractor, L3 Communications, in January 2013. These components are more likely to malfunction and cause problems like blank instrument screens when in flight.
The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee’s 14-month study revealed that counterfeit parts are prone to breakdown in the Hercules and other American-made military hardware, with possibly “catastrophic repercussions.” The phony Hercules microchips, according to the U.S. committee probe, were originally produced by the Korean electronics giant Samsung in the 1990s, and more than ten years later, they were recycled, renovated, and labeled to look authentic by a different supplier from China.
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Later, Samsung said that it was “impossible to project the reliability” of the modified components. According to the U.S. investigation, Hercules’ issues first came to light in 2010 when an active duty aircraft of the U.S. Air Force experienced an instrument panel failure.
At a height of 16,614 feet on August 20, 2013, the Indian Air Force made the highest C-130J landing ever at the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh (5,064 m).
As of March 2022, 500 C-130J Hercules aircraft had been delivered to 26 operators in 22 different countries, making it the sole model still in production.
Indian Variant of the C-130 J
The aircraft has operated for the past several years in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan (in conditions similar to India) and has demonstrated exceptional performance. It is powered by four Rolls-Royce AE2100 engines and Dowty six-bladed props that give the aircraft a great deal of power.
Modern flight station with multi-function LCD screens for aircraft flight control, operations, and navigation systems is the core of the new Super Hercules’ sophisticated technology. Holographic head-up displays, which have a history in military transports, are used by pilots as their primary flight instruments in addition to the four displays on the instrument panel.
Special features
The aircraft can be utilized for a variety of military and civilian activities, including aerial refueling, special operations, surveillance, combat delivery, aeromedical support, personnel transport, and firefighting. The aircraft’s versatility makes it a great asset for the Indian Air Force. It makes sense that the Indian Air Force (IAF) recently extended its five-year contract with Lockheed Martin to continue receiving specialized maintenance for its fleet of 12 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. One of the 21 nations using the C-130J Super Hercules is India.
Also read: All You Need To Know About Indian Air Force Fighter Aircraft
The capability of the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to transport people were useful during the most recent evacuations from Afghanistan. The IAF prioritized the rescue of as many Indians as they could once the Taliban began seizing power. A military transport aircraft is essential for countries with military facilities abroad due to its vast range of operational capabilities. It will be vital for countries to establish military sites in Africa as trade and business between numerous nations turn to the continent in the coming decades. A game-changing aircraft in this situation might be the C-130J.
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