130J based on the highly successful US
Marine Corps Block 6.5-standard KC-130J.
CSAR squadrons have been deployed
continually since ‘Desert Storm’ in 1991
and they are considered to be low-density,
high-demand assets. Translated, this
means that the small number of personnel
and aircraft are spread thin and are
overtaxed by the demands placed on the
USAF by worldwide events.
The Fiscal Year 2008 defense
appropriation provided funds to begin
the acquisition of two HC-130Js and four
MC-130Js. The long-range plan then
included the acquisition of 74 HC-130Js
and 37 MC-130Js. In January 2011, this was
expanded to include 122 aircraft and then
to 131 in October 2013. Under current
plans 94 MC-130Js and 37 HC-130Js will be
delivered, but 37 MCs will be converted to
AC-130J gunship con guration.
Known respectively as the Combat King
II and Commando II, the HC-130J and
MC-130J are light years ahead of their
predecessors in many ways. However,
‘out of the box’ they lacked some of the
nuances of the older Hercs. Like the earlier
models, the HC/MC-130Js are equipped
with Cobham Mission Equipment/Sargent
Fletcher aerial refueling pods. Although
the aircraft retain the underwing auxiliary
fuel tanks, they are not equipped with thehttp://www.combataircraft.net // August 2019 75
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