Mission
The C-130 Hercules primarily performs the tactical portion of the airlift mission. The aircraft is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport for airdropping troops and equipment into hostile areas. The C-130 operates throughout the U.S. Air Force, serving with Air Mobility Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Combat Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Pacific Air Forces, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command, fulfilling a wide range of operational missions in both peace and war situations. Basic and specialized versions of the aircraft airframe perform a diverse number of roles, including airlift support, Antarctic ice resupply, aeromedical missions, weather reconnaissance, aerial spray missions, firefighting duties for the U.S. Forest Service and natural disaster relief missions.
Features
Using its aft loading ramp and door, the C-130 can accommodate a wide variety of oversized cargo, including everything from utility helicopters and six-wheeled armored vehicles to standard palletized cargo and military personnel. In an aerial delivery role, it can airdrop loads up to 42,000 pounds or use its high-flotation landing gear to land and deliver cargo on rough, dirt strips.
The flexible design of the Hercules enables it to be configured for many different missions, allowing one aircraft to perform the role of many. Much of the special mission equipment added to the Hercules is removable, allowing the aircraft to return to its cargo delivery role if desired. Additionally, the C-130 can be rapidly reconfigured for the various types of cargo such as palletized equipment, floor-loaded material, airdrop platforms, container delivery system bundles, vehicles and personnel or aeromedical evacuation.
Air National Guard locations for the C-130 and its variations are Bradley Air National Guard Base, Connecticut; Joint Reserve Base Carswell, Texas; Channel Island ANG Station, California; Cheyenne Municipal Airport, Wyoming; Great Falls ANGB, Montana; Little Rock AFB, Arkansas; Louisville IAP, Kentucky; Mansfield Lahm ANG Base, Ohio; Minnesota-St. Paul ARS, Minnesota; Muñiz ANGB, Puerto Rico; New Castle County ANGB, Delaware; Greater Peoria Regional Airport, Illinois; Quonset State Airport, Rhode Island; Reno-Tahoe IAP, Nevada; Savannah IAP, Georgia; Schenectady MAP, New York; Rosecrans Memorial Airport, Missouri; and Yeager Airport, West Virginia.
General Characteristics
Primary Function: Global airlift
Contractor: Lockheed-Martin Aeronautics Company
Power Plant: Four Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprops; 4,700 horsepower
Length: 112 feet, 9 inches (34.69 meters)
Height: 38 feet, 10 inches (11. 9 meters)
Wingspan: 132 feet, 7 inches (39.7 meters)
Cargo Compartment: length, 41 feet (12.5 meters); width, 123 inches (meters); height, 9 feet (2.74 meters). Rear ramp: length, 119 inches (36.27 meters); width, 118.9 inches (3.02 meters)
Speed: 417 mph/362 ktas (Mach 0.59) at 22,000 feet (6,706 meters)
Ceiling: C-130J: 28,000 feet (8,615 meters) with 42,000 pounds (19,090 kilograms) payload
Maximum Takeoff Weight: C-130J: 164,000 pounds (74,393 kilograms)
Maximum Allowable Payload: C-130J, 42,000 pounds (19,090 kilograms)
Maximum Normal Payload: C-130J, 34,000 pounds (15,422 kilograms)
Range at Maximum Normal Payload: C-130J, 2,071 miles (1,800 nautical miles)
Range with 35,000 pounds of Payload: C-130J, 1,841 miles (1,600 nautical miles)
Maximum Load: 6 pallets or 72 litters or 16 CDS bundles or 90 combat troops or 64 paratroopers, or a combination of any of these up to the cargo compartment capacity or maximum allowable weight
Crew: Three (two pilots and loadmaster)
Unit Cost: $75.5 (FY 2017 Then dollars in millions)
Date Deployed: Feb 1999
Total C-130 Inventory: Active Force, 145; Air National Guard, 181; Air Force Reserve, 102
136 AW Public Affairs Office: (817) 852-3344
(Current as of June 2018)