The Air Force’s latest factory-fresh HC-130J rescue aircraft last week arrived at its new home at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., from Lockheed Martin’s production plant in Marietta, Ga., announced the company. Aircraft number 5719 touched down at the Arizona base on April 3, according to the company’s release. It is the Air Force’s ninth new HC-130J overall, and the seventh assigned to Davis-Monthan, states the release. The service intends to acquire 37 HC-130Js in total; to date, 15 of them are on order. Air Combat Command and Air Education and Training Command operate these platforms. Aircraft number 5717, the previous HC-130J off the production line, arrived at Davis-Monthan in early March.
Earlier this week, the People’s Republic of China confirmed it is halting its nuclear arms control talks with the U.S., in retaliation for the U.S. continuing to sell arms to Taiwan. The move reinforces a “pattern of behavior” from Beijing, experts say.