Aviation Week reports that the US Air Force “will complete repairs on all of the aircraft in its C-130H fleet by the end of September after cracks in propeller blades forced a grounding of the fleet beginning in September 2022.”
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Tag: C-130
Boeing Expects Demand for Air Cargo to Increase
Reuters reported that The Boeing Company believes air cargo traffic will double over the next two decades with the “world’s freighter fleet expanding by more than 60%.”
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USAF Grounds Most of its Older C-130H Hercules Cargo Planes, Variants
Defense News reported that the US Air Force has “grounded most of its older C-130H Hercules cargo planes and variants due to a problem with their propeller barrels.” The unofficial Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco “posted a screenshot of a slide that said the propeller barrels in question had been installed in 100 C-130Hs, as well as the entire inventories of eight MC-130H Combat Talons, seven EC-130H Compass Calls, and one TC-130H.” In a statement to Defense News, Air Mobility Command (AMC) “said a maintenance crew at Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex in Georgia found a persistent leak coming from a C-130H propeller while test running the plane’s engine after it had undergone depot maintenance. That propeller assembly was removed and sent to the complex’s propeller shop, AMC said, where a technician found a crack in its barrel assembly.” AMC added that “further inspections found two more propeller assemblies had the same problem.”
Full Story (Defense News)
US Air Force Completes Program That Allows it to Transform Cargo Planes into Bombers
The Daily Mail (UK) reports that the US Air Force “has successfully completed an experimental program to rapidly transform cargo planes into bombers, massively enlarging its firepower capabilities should an armed conflict break out.” The program allows the C-17 Globemaster III and the C-130 Hercules to be converted into bombers. After “two years of experiments, the Air Force successfully tested its first parachute-missile launcher from a transport plane above the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in March.” According to “PopularMechanics.com, the Air Force believes it can fire as many as 32 cruise missiles on one cargo flight.” The “300 C-130 Hercules and more than 222 C-17 Globemasters the Air Force currently operates would dramatically expand its offensive capabilities.”
Full Story (Daily Mail)
Air Force Looking for Industry Help to Transition C-130 Software
Air Force Times reports that the Air Force issued a request for information (RFI) Thursday, which stated that it is looking for industry assistance in transitioning the C-130 software to a DevSecOps approach. The RFI stated, “The end goal is to establish a lean, user-centered approach that will ultimately redefine how capability is delivered to the warfighter while meeting all regulatory testing and cybersecurity requirements.” The Air Force “is looking for two companies to partner with C-130 maker Lockheed Martin, to develop a strategy with an implementation and cost schedule, the RFI said.” After a “six-month study, the Air Force expects to award a $1 million contract to implement the results. An RFP to provide the transition services is expected in the second quarter of this year.”
Full Story (Air Force Times)