Bulges on tail

[cot900]

Been away from Herks for 20 years. Saw some A/C from Tennessee and they had bulges just aft of the stars and bars on both sides. Wondering what the bulges were.

[Jon]

Do you mean this:

French Foreign Legion paratroopers board a U.S. Air Force C-130H Hercules aircraft from the 165th AW, Georgia ANG on May 29, 2014 in Corsica, France. The 82nd Airborne Jumpmasters provided training for French jumpers to learn U.S. Army techniques and use American equipment as part of a U.S. French exercise prior to the 70th Anniversary D-Day celebration in Normandy, France. [ANG photo by MSgt. Charles Delano]

Similar ones are jamming equipment housed in smoother fairings on the EC-130H.

[Jon]

Also mounted in a similar way is the AN/AAQ-24 Directional Infrared Countermeasures. They have laser turret mounts and 59 were purchased in 1999 for installation on all active AC-130s and MC-130s. But I have seen them mounted on a few C-130H's.

[RCAF_fan]

Why did only some of the C-130's get these? Does the C-130J have this built in?

Thanks!

[mekong68]

Why did only some of the C-130's get these? Does the C-130J have this built in?

Thanks!

I think it boiled down to money and operational requirements...not all units were going into threat environments so no need to upgrade all of them. The initial group was expanded when the ANG and AFRC units starting assisting in SWA, therefore they were eventually upgraded.

C-130Js initially did not have the system (size is greatly reduced, almost a flush mounted system in the same location). Once it was perfected, LMCO started doing the install on the production line for HC/MC-130Js. The USAF and USMC purchased a bunch of kits and Robins was doing the install on previously fielded USAF and USMC C-130Js (slicks). It's my understanding that Greenville SC (LMCO) is also doing retro fits to acft.