Flight testing of an engine-efficiency retrofit for legacy model C-130s recently began at Edwards AFB, Calif., announced manufacturer Rolls-Royce. A Wyoming Air National Guard C-130H earlier this month flew with a single Series 3.5 enhanced T56 turboprop and three standard T56s during trials. The engine upgrade is designed to lower the T56’s operating temperatures, creating “significant savings in fuels costs, improved reliability, and performance,” over the current configuration, said Tom Bell, president of Rolls-Royce defense. The upgrade kit replaces components of the T56’s compressor unit and reduces fuel consumption by roughly eight percent as well as boosting “hot and high” performance, according to the company’s Sept. 17 release. Retrofitting the engines to the new configuration could occur during routine overhaul and keep the C-130H fleet flying to 2040, stated the company. The Air Force has not yet committed to the upgrade. However, Air Force analysis indicates that the long-term savings from it could reach $2 billion, according to Rolls-Royce.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
