Lockheed Awarded Contract for More C-130Js

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center awarded Lockheed Martin a multi-year $5.3 billion contract to deliver 78 additional C-130J aircraft to the Air Force and Marine Corps, the company announced. Under the overall contract, the Air Force will receive 30 MC-130J Commando IIs, 13 HC-130J Combat King IIs, and 29 extended-range C-130J-30 Super Hercs; the Marine Corps will receive six KC-130Js; and the Coast Guard has the option to acquire five HC-130Js, states the release. Delivery will begin this year and will be complete by 2020. “This multi-year contract provides true value to our US operators as they recapitalize and expand their much-relied-upon Hercules aircraft, which has the distinction of being the world’s largest and most tasked C-130 fleet,” states the release. The Defense Department on Dec. 30 announced the award of more than $1 billion toward the first 32 aircraft in the multi-year contract, including 13 C-130J-30s, five HC-130Js, 11 MC-130Js, two KC-130Js, and one Coast Guard HC-130J aircraft. Lockheed Martin delivered an HC-130J to the 71st Rescue Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., last month. The aircraft was the 2,500th C-130 airframe produced on the company’s production line in Marietta, Ga.