Recently, the global community of C-130J Super Hercules tactical transport aircraft collectively surpassed 2 million flight hours, logged from the first flight on April 5, 1996. Developed by Lockheed Martin, the versatile tactical transport aircraft is capable of refueling on the ground and in the air and can take off from extremely short air strips.
The total number of hours are the work of 22 operators from 18 different nations around the world, with hours contributed from a wide range of missions, including combat, search and rescue, firefighting, and transport. The C-130J Super Hercules is the current production model of the C-130 Hercules aircraft, and Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 425 of the aircraft to customers in 18 countries around the world.
The flight hours have been compiled by operators in the United Kingdom, the United States (including the Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard), Australia, Denmark, Italy, Israel, France, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. In addition, crews from Lockheed Martin Flight Operations are the first to fly every C-130J Super Hercules aircraft produced. The largest fleet of Super Hercules aircraft are maintained by the U.S. Air Force.
Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of the Air Mobility & Maritime Missions line of business at Lockheed Martin, announced the milestone at the Hercules Operators Conference, the annual C-130 operator-industry event, held in Atlanta: “The C-130J has earned a reputation as the world’s workhorse and this most recent achievement is a powerful reminder of the Super Hercules’ unmatched global reach. Crews continue to exemplify the C-130J’s proven capability and versatility with every mission they fly.”
