The Georgia Air National Guard’s 165th Airlift Wing took delivery of its first C-130J-30 Super Hercules on Monday, becoming the first fleet of the aircraft in the state.
The stretch variant of the C-130J boasts an additional 15 feet of cargo space. The delivery is the first of eight of the aircraft ordered intended to support the strategic and tactical airlift mission of the ANG, which has one of the most active C-130 fleets in the world.
The delivery also marks the first of the aircraft received by the U.S. Air Force in the Block 8.1 configuration during its initial production. The configuration features a new flight management system, enhanced navigation and intercommunication systems, and updated friend-or-foe identification, and improves interoperability across the fleet, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
“This new aircraft also represents a major increase in capability for the men and women of Georgia’s Air National Guard, who will now count the most advanced C-130 ever built as part of its newest fleet,” U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) said during a “Georgia Built, Georgia Flown” themed event Monday at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Marietta.
More than 530 C-130J Super Hercules airlifters have been delivered to operators across 22 countries, the company said.
