March 15, 2022 (by Stephanie Sonnenfeld Stinn) -
Hercules history is made once again, with the announcement that Lockheed Martin recently delivered its 500th C-130J Super Hercules airlifter.
USAF C-130J-30 #19-5934 was seen on a test flight on February 17, 2022. This aircraft is the 500th C-130J off the production line. [Lockheed Martin Photo by David L. Key]
This Super Hercules (Lockheed Martin aircraft
#5934) is a C-130J-30 aircraft assigned to the 130th Airlift Wing located at McLaughlin Air National Guard Base in Charleston, West Virginia. The 130th Airlift Wing is a longtime C-130 operator that is currently modernizing its legacy Hercules fleet with C-130Js.
The U.S. government operates the largest C-130J Super Hercules fleet in the world. This delivery represents the U.S. government's continued transition to the C-130J as the common platform across the Air Force, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard.
"This delivery represents the thousands of people — past and present — that design, build, fly, maintain and support C-130Js around the world," said Rod McLean, vice president, and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Air Mobility & Maritime Missions (AMMM) line of business. "Like its namesake, the C-130J is a legend defined by its strength and power. Yet, it is the people who are part of the C-130J operator, production, supplier, and industry partner communities who truly define the Super Hercules and helped the C-130J Program reach this monumental achievement."
The C-130J Super Hercules is the current production model of the legendary C-130 Hercules aircraft. The airlift choice of 26 operators in 22 nations, the global C-130 fleet has surpassed more than 2 million flight hours and holds more than 54 world records.
