LM (Lockheed Martin) Hercules : C-130J

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] confirms studies are under way for a new version of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] featuring a wider fuselage to accommodate a proposed class of US Army ground vehicles entering service after 2015. The enlarged airlifter would compete against the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and Boeing's proposed [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] to support the army's Future Combat System.

"There's clearly things we can do to the C-130 to increase the size of the fuselage if there's a market that wants that," says Jim Grant, Lockheed's business development director for global mobility and special operations forces.

"We have teams looking at what it would take to make a (longer]) fuselage," Grant says, "and then we also have the design teams looking at the emerging technologies should the requirements drive us to the new airframe."

Current plans for the FCS consist of a family of networked vehicles and systems, including a key subset of manned ground vehicles that has already outgrown the C-130's cargo hold and payload weight limits. The current aircraft's cargo box has a diameter of 2.78m (9ft), versus 4m for the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and 5.48m for the C-17A.

The US Air Force plans to main­tain a fleet of nearly 600 new or upgraded Hercules, and believes a mix of 221 modernised C-130Hs and 172 new-generation C-130Js will be sufficient to meet most of the army's intra-theatre airlift requirement, as only 15 of its 76 future brigade combat teams will receive FCS equipment.

But with the fleet to leave a capability gap for the proposed FCS manned ground vehicles after 2015, the USAF is discussing several options.

One is to partner the army to develop an all-new airlifter for delivery after 2021. A notional development programme called Joint Future Theatre Lift, emphasising either vertical or super-short take-off and access to austere airstrips, is in the planning stages.

Another option is to buy an off-the-shelf aircraft such as the A400M. Boeing has also proposed the C-17B, which is adapted for austere landings with higher-thrust engines, triple-slotted flaps and an extra main landing gear.

Meanwhile, Lockheed is considering a widened version of the C-130J. Grant says engineers are studying modifications for super-short take-off capability, but appears dubious that any existing turboprop-powered airlifter will be large enough to accommodate the FCS requirement.

"I don't know whether the A400M will be able to carry the (FCS manned ground) vehicles," Grant says. "I do not know whether the weight of those vehicles will climb right through the weight (limit) of the A400M or not. What I can say is that the A400M will continue to be very heavy for (C-130)J-type capability."

Lockheed Martin a débuté en juillet dernier l’assemblage du premier AC-130J dans son usine de Marietta en Georgie.

Destiné à remplacer les plus anciens "gunship" de l’US Air Force (AC-130U et H "Spectre"), l’AC-130J est dérivé du MC-130J Commando qui équipe déjà les forces spéciales américaines.

Outre une boule optronique IR/TV installée sous le nez et pilotée par une station opérateur dans le cockpit, l’AC-130J sera doté d’une large panoplie de systèmes d’autoprotection, de kits de blindage et surtout du "Precision Strike Package" comprenant notamment un canon de 30 mm et de petites bombes guidées type GBU-44 ou GBU-39 SDB (Small Diameter Bomb).

Si leur emplacement sera provisionné, la présence de gros calibres (120 mm) n’est pas prévue dans l’immédiat.

L’US Air Force a commandé 16 AC-130J, et prévoit que le premier exemplaire soit opérationnel en 2015.

PS : La France .... veut-elle encore en acheter ? Ce ne serait pas une mauvaise idée ! Mais, pendant que Lance ARMSTRONG tient l'actualité ...... !

MARIETTA, Ga., Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire

The Lockheed Martin HC-130J Combat King II and the MC-130J Commando II aircraft have been certified as "Effective, Suitable and Mission Capable" by the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center.

The U.S. Air Force is currently recapitalizing the HC, MC and AC-130 gunship fleets with new C‑130J variants.


The HC-130J is the personnel recovery/combat search and rescue aircraft for Air Combat Command, and the MC-130J is the Special Operations tanker aircraft for Air Force Special Operations Command.

Currently Lockheed Martin is on contract for 27 MC‑130Js and 15 HC-130Js. The certification was received in October.

"This further demonstrates the amazing flexibility of the C-130J. We took a KC-130J tanker and, through in-line production design changes and significant capability enhancements, produced the current HC and MC aircraft," said George Shultz, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager for C-130 Programs.

"The C‑130J is without equal in terms of its multi-role, multi-mission flexibility and availability. No aircraft in production — or in development — can match the capabilities of the Super Hercules."


From initial contract award in mid-2008 to the first ahead-of-schedule flight on July 29, 2010, the HC/MC program demonstrates the proven design, reliability and technology of the C-130J.

The new AC-130Js will be converted to MC-130Js with the addition of a precision strike package.

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1rze7)