LM (Lockheed Martin) Hercules : C-130J

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has secured two major support contracts, worth a total of US$246 million, to cover engines powering C-130 military transport aircraft in operation with the US and UK militaries.
Under a US$203 million MissionCare® contract modification, Rolls-Royce will provide the US Air Force with comprehensive propulsion system services for its fleet of C-130J aircraft. The aircraft are flown by the US Air Force, US Air Force Training Command, Air National Guard, US Air Force Reserve and US Air Force Special Operations Command.
The availability-based agreement covers the provision of logistics and programme management support, engineering services, spares and technical data for the complete propulsion system, including AE 2100D3 engines and Dowty R-391 propellers. The agreement exercises the fifth year of an existing contract.

Rolls-Royce has also signed a one-year contract extension, valued at over $43 million, for the support of the UK’s C-130 military transport fleet. The agreement was signed with Marshall Aerospace, the prime contractor for the Hercules Integrated Operational Support (HIOS) programme, and provides continued support for both ‘J’ and ‘K’ aircraft variants in service with the Royal Air Force.

Rolls-Royce has teamed with Marshall Aerospace and Lockheed Martin to deliver HIOS, a programme to improve overall availability and reduce support costs of the fleet of C-130s.

Paul Craig, Rolls-Royce, Executive Vice President - Defence Services said: “Rolls-Royce is the world leader in engines for military transport aircraft. The award of these two important contracts highlights that we are trusted to deliver innovative support solutions which provide the customer with both increased engine availability and reduced ownership costs.”

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] has rolled out its first [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Combat Shadow II for the US Air Force Special Operations Command, with the type to achieve initial operational capability next year.

Performed at Lockheed's Marietta production site in Georgia on 29 March, the milestone came around five months before the company will deliver its first of at least 15 of the combat tankers.

Hailing the combination of new sensors, expanded avionics and a universal aerial refuelling receptacle slipway installation, AFSOC commander Lt Gen Donald Wurster says the MC-130J's "multi-mission capabilities will increase the combat performance of special operations forces worldwide".

Lockheed is under contract to build 15 MC-130Js, but the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]'s total requirement is for an eventual fleet of 37 new-generation aircraft to replace its current MC-130E/Ps.

The first MC-130J will be delivered during August, along with the USAF Air Combat Command's first HC-130J personnel recovery aircraft. Developmental testing of the latter variant concluded on 14 March, with the successful use of its new refuelling receptacle slipway installation while flying behind a boom-equipped [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] tanker from the Ohio [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Guard.

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] will begin a five-month series of flight tests of the MC-130J Combat Shadow after completing first flight on 22 April.

The first MC-130J is scheduled for delivery in September to Cannon AFB, New Mexico, where it will start replacing Air Force Special Operations Command's (AFSOC's) MC-130Ps that entered service in 1986.

The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] plans to buy as many as 37 MC-130Js under a $1.6 billion programme through 2016.

The first 15 MC-130Js are already under contract, five more aircraft authorized to be on contract.

Lockheed designed the MC-130J, which performs low-altitude aerial refuelings for helicopters and tiltrotors, using the KC-130J tanker as the baseline.

The production line at Marietta, Georgia, was modified to allow in-line modifications, such as the installation of a boom refueling receptacle.

The MC-130J also adds more powerful electrical generators, electro-optical/infrared sensor and an enhanced service life wing.

AFSOC is planning to deploy the first MC-130J operational unit in Fiscal 2012.

Jeannot a écrit:Airbus pourrait vendre l'A400M en extrême orient comme avion d'assistance aux secours.

Airbus expects Far East orders for tsunami rescue aircraft


Both Japan and New Zealand have inquired about the A400M to handle humanitarian crises


Far Eastern governments have contacted Airbus about ordering its latest military aircraft, which can cost more than $80m (£49m), to tackle humanitarian crises.



The A400M was originally designed for the defence needs of seven European countries, including the UK, Germany and France. Last year, the governments of those nations agreed a ¤3.5bn (£3.04bn) deal to salvage the much-delayed programme.

The aircraft is extremely flexible. Countries such as Japan and New Zealand have looked at buying it for humanitarian aid and rescue purposes after recent tsunamis and earthquakes. The Britain's Department for International Development (DfID) has also looked at the A400M.

Neighbouring Far Eastern governments are understood to have started looking at the possibility of teaming up in partnerships of two to three to afford the aircraft. There is no fixed cost because different clients have their own specifications, but the cost – tens of millions – puts them out of reach for most humanitarian groups.

At present, the Airbus parent company, EADS, is not officially trying to push A400 sales until 2012. But a soft marketing push, including conference presentations, has started.

Ian Elliott, the head of defence marketing at Airbus Military, said: "There's been quite some interest shown from affiliates of NGOs – government departments, like DfID.

"There has been interest from Far Eastern governments. You've only got to look at the disasters in the area to see how the A400 could help."

Mr Elliott added that the A400 had "enormous potential" in disaster relief, anti-piracy and illegal immigration control. For example, the advanced radar and communication facilities could easily track pirates.

He also confirmed that "informal contacts at mid-level staff levels" had started with some countries. "We will kick-off the export campaign next year," he said. "The full potential of this aircraft will really begin demonstrating itself when entering service."

The first delivery of the A400 is expected to be made to France in 2013. The other four initial clients are Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain and Turkey.

The news comes after a significant week for Airbus. The World Trade Organisation announced that it was partially overturning a 2010 verdict that the European Union had given Airbus $18bn in illegal subsidies to develop the A380 jumbo. Boeing, its US rival, had challenged the subsidies. Confusingly, both sides claimed victory. Airbus's president, Tom Enders, claimed the group had won on "all the key elements" and Boeing's Jim McNerney said it was "a clear, final win" for the US.

Lord Mandelson, the former European trade commissioner, urged the two parties not to continue the seven-year dispute because of the potential threat from emerging economies.

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Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has signed a memorandum of agreement with Lockheed Martin Corp. to provide performance improvements, including better fuel efficiency, to the T56 family of engines. The agreement builds on a partnership of over 50 years and demonstrates long-term commitments from both companies to enhance safety, economy, reliability and performance of Lockheed Martin aircraft.

Rolls-Royce has introduced technologies proven in its other business units ....

......for the Series 3.5 engine enhancement kit to give improved fuel efficiency, increased turbine life, and better engine performance for hot day and high-altitude operations. The redesign has demonstrated up to 9 per cent savings in specific fuel consumption during recent engine testing.

The Series 3.5 engine enhancement kit is designed for retrofit into T56 turboprop engines powering military applications, such as the C-130H military transporter and the P-3 military maritime patrol aircraft, and the commercial L-100 variant.

It utilises technologies already in operation with Rolls-Royce powered commercial and military aircraft, such as new turbine blade materials in the AE engine family, as well as the blade coating process used in the 501-K gas generator in our energy business. The Series 3.5 engine enhancement upgrade can be accomplished as part of a traditional engine overhaul, and does not require any aircraft or engine control system interface modifications.

Patricia O’Connell, Rolls-Royce, President - Defence Customer Business, stated: “As operators continue to look for ways to extend the service life of their C-130, P-3 and L-100 aircraft, the Series 3.5 engine enhancement kit will offer them significant performance enhancements to enable more efficient operations for decades to come.”

Jim Grant, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Business Development for Air Mobility and Special Operations Forces, stated: “We are dedicated to supporting our legacy C-130 and P-3 aircraft that continue to provide outstanding service to the armed forces of the United States and its allies. This level of service is accomplished through long standing collaborations, such as we have with Rolls-Royce.”

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] (Hall 2b E158) is bidding to fill the UK’s maritime surveillance gap by modifying some of the Royal Air Force’s Lockheed Martin C-130Js.

Last year, a cost-cutting defense review scrapped a fleet of nine soon-to-enter-service BAE Systems Nimrod MRA.4 aircraft.

Observers have since questioned official assurances that AgustaWestland Merlin helicopters and unmodified C-130Js could adequately substitute in long-range antisubmarine, anti-ship and search-and-rescue roles for the UK.

The “quick change” conversion would use some of the equipment that was developed and delivered for the Nimrod MRA.4.

The Thales Searchwater radar would be installed on the C-130J’s lower rear ramp door, and be lowered in flight from a stowed position.

Sonobuoys would be deployed through chutes on the same doors, taken from a storage rack nearby.

An electro-optic turret would be added beneath the nose, presumably for the MRA.4’s Northrop Grumman Night Hunter II EO/IR system. ESM antennas would be fitted to the wingtips, forward and rear fuselage.

Five tactical workstations would be installed in the fuselage, compared with seven in the MRA.4.

Based at Cambridge Airport in the UK, Marshall has more than 40 years of experience in C-130 overhauls and modifications, and said that it is negotiating with Lockheed Martin to extend its “sister design authority” for earlier C-130 models to the C-130J.

Lockheed Martin’s own missions systems and sensors (MS2) division has designed palletized maritime surveillance solutions for the C-130 and other tactical airlifters. But Marshall told AIN that it was prepared to adapt the UK’s C-130Js using its own resources.

Wax a écrit:Marshall propose de modifier plusieurs C 130J de la RAF pour remplir certaines missions du Nimrod MRA ( abandonné )


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[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] (Hall 2b E158) is bidding to fill the UK’s maritime surveillance gap by modifying some of the Royal Air Force’s Lockheed Martin C-130Js.

Last year, a cost-cutting defense review scrapped a fleet of nine soon-to-enter-service BAE Systems Nimrod MRA.4 aircraft.

Observers have since questioned official assurances that AgustaWestland Merlin helicopters and unmodified C-130Js could adequately substitute in long-range antisubmarine, anti-ship and search-and-rescue roles for the UK.

The “quick change” conversion would use some of the equipment that was developed and delivered for the Nimrod MRA.4.

The Thales Searchwater radar would be installed on the C-130J’s lower rear ramp door, and be lowered in flight from a stowed position.

Sonobuoys would be deployed through chutes on the same doors, taken from a storage rack nearby.

An electro-optic turret would be added beneath the nose, presumably for the MRA.4’s Northrop Grumman Night Hunter II EO/IR system. ESM antennas would be fitted to the wingtips, forward and rear fuselage.

Five tactical workstations would be installed in the fuselage, compared with seven in the MRA.4.

Based at Cambridge Airport in the UK, Marshall has more than 40 years of experience in C-130 overhauls and modifications, and said that it is negotiating with Lockheed Martin to extend its “sister design authority” for earlier C-130 models to the C-130J.

Lockheed Martin’s own missions systems and sensors (MS2) division has designed palletized maritime surveillance solutions for the C-130 and other tactical airlifters. But Marshall told AIN that it was prepared to adapt the UK’s C-130Js using its own resources.

Fragen a écrit:Merci

En passant, si une partie de l'Europe; A 400M; et les USA; C 130; avaient pu se mettre d'accord sur le long terme; EADS - LM,

Le KC 390 n'aurait pas trouvé sa bonne place.

Le 400M est trop gros, le C 130 trouve partout sa place.

Mais un mandat politique est bien court, non ?

The Indian air force is in negotiations to order a second batch of six Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules, the US-based manufacturer has confirmed.

The new order will expand the fleet of six C-130Js India ordered in 2008, which Lockheed has already delivered.

The Indian air force immediately deployed its newly-delivered C-130Js in humanitarian missions, including relief flights to remote areas in northern India.


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© Lockheed Martin

Lockheed and US government officials are also in talks to sign new C-130J orders in the Middle East, Israel and South Africa.

The US government is also interested in buying more C-130Js. In addition to the Department of Defense, Lockheed is holding discussions with the US Forest Service to order as many as 24 aircraft.

So far, Lockheed has received a total of 219 orders for the latest variant of the C-130 series.

The production rate over the last five years has nearly quadrupled, from nine aircraft per year to 33 this year.

Pas besoin de commentaire, .. si ce n'est que cette performance esyt impressionnante pour un avion dont les premiers exemplaires remontent en 1954 !

Lockheed unveils two future C-130 variants

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Lockheed Martin has quietly launched two new variants of the 57-year-old (and counting!) C-130 Hercules. The C-130XJ and the C-130NG both appeared in a presentation by Ralph Heath, executive vice president of Lockheed's Aeronautics division, on 1 December at the Credit Suisse aerospace and defense conference in New York.

Few details of both configurations have been made available so far. The C-130XJ is aimed at the export market, and is designed to make the aircraft affordable to a broader set of foreign buyers, Heath said. The "X" in the designation stands for "expandable", Heath added, and buyers can upgrade to the C-130J's full capability.

It appears the C-130NG, which includes winglets and a redesigned nose and tail, will be offered after 2020 to replace the C-130H fleet. See a comparison between the old and new versions of the C-130J and C-130NG below.

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Nearly 60 years has passed since Lockheed designer Willis Hawkins first unveiled the C-130 design. His legendary boss, Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson, instantly hated the aircraft, warning Lockheed chief engineer Hal Hibbard the C-130 would "ruin" the company. Johnson was right about many things, such as his designs for the U-2 and SR-71, but he was completely wrong about the C-130. Rather than ruining the company, the C-130 series will be produced for at least 65 years, and possibly longer.

In the last several years, the C-130's reign over the tactical airlift market has been challenged like never before. The Airbus Military A400M and Kawasaki C-2 offer a larger platform as airlift demand increases, although the latter is forbidden to be sold outside of Japan. Meanwhile, the Embraer KC-390 and the Antonov An-178 are designed to compete directly against the C-130, albeit with a jet-powered aircraft.

Lockheed Martin will develop a cheaper variant of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] that removes several features from the tactical airlifter's basic design.

The C-130XJ will be offered to foreign and US customers that do not need certain advanced features of the standard J-model, including its enhanced cargo handling system, said Jim Grant, Lockheed's vice president of business development for mobility and special operations.

Grant cited the US Forest Service and South Africa as potential domestic and foreign buyers of the C-130XJ.

Lockheed could also propose the new variant to the US Air Force. Senator Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, has warned that the USAF is considering the cancellation of the L-3 Communications/Alenia Aeronautica [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Asked if the C-130XJ could be proposed as a substitute for the C-27J's direct support mission, Grant referred the question to the customer.

"There, the air force would have to do obviously the trade [studies] on commonality," Grant said. "There's no question the XJ will be an enormously capable airplane - maybe not as capable as the C-130J, but very close."

The C-130XJ will keep the same [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]and Honeywell-based avionics suite of the standard model, so its performance will be nearly identical. The new variant will also have the same outer-mould line as the J model, Grant said.

Lockheed did not provide details of the internal changes, except for the removal of the C-130J's automated cargo handling system. Instead, the XJ's crews will have to manually load and lock cargo to the floor of the aircraft.

The C-130XJ represents the latest iteration of the 57-year-old Hercules design. Lockheed hopes the refresh will allow the C-130 model to remain in production for the next 15-20 years.

It has also unveiled a notional design concept for a C-130NG, which features a new nose, tail and the addition of winglets to a familiar-looking Hercules fuselage.

The C-130NG design represents changes Lockheed believes are feasible for a replacement aircraft that would emerge after 2030. But some of the new design features, including the winglets, could be added as incremental improvements to the C-130J in the short-term.

"Any of the energy efficiency initiatives that are currently being worked could easily buy their way on the current programmes," Grant said.

The Air Force’s efforts to add a camera to its Senior Scout roll-on/roll-off signals intelligence payload for the C-130J Hercules is the culmination of nearly a decade’s work.

The service has aimed to create an array of multi-intelligence platforms that can cover a broad swath of terrain without a dedicated surveillance aircraft.

“This is an idea [former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.] John Jumper had, to put these on transport [planes] so you could dual-use them” as airlifters or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, said Daniel Gouré, an analyst with the Lexington Institute of Arlington, Va.

A transport plane could carry out an intelligence mission while partially loaded with supplies, and if there is an empty return leg, that sortie could be dedicated to a surveillance mission, Gouré said.

Such a capability could be invaluable in Afghanistan, where aircraft equipped with payloads like Senior Scout could free up other assets.

The aircraft would be tasked with general “environmental” intelligence, which would enable more dedicated aircraft to be tasked to their own particular mission set more often, Gouré said.

The Air Force plans to begin flight-testing this month of a new version of its Senior Scout payload for the C-130J.

USAF Approves C-130 Engine Upgrade Tests


The U.S. Air Force has funded flight tests of upgraded Rolls-Royce T56s on a Lockheed Martin C-130H aimed at increasing reliability and service life as well as cutting fuel consumption by around 8%.

The T56-15 Series 3.5 ‘enhancement’ kit is expected to undergo tests at Edwards AFB, California, around mid-2012. Originally launched in response to U.S. government calls for reduced dependence on foreign oil, the upgrade is expected to contribute to the Air Force’s target of reducing aviation fuel usage by 10% by 2015. Rolls unveiled first details of the effort in 2009 and, at the time, hoped to see flight tests begin in early 2011. However funding issues prevented the start of testing until this year.

The upgrade includes remanufactured compressor blades, single-crystal first-stage high-pressure turbine blades, and aerodynamically redesigned blades and vanes throughout the low-pressure turbine. The turbine upgrade is designed to increase component life by around 30%, and according to an Air Force analysis report, could contribute to overall long term savings of $3.5 billion over the lifetime of the fleet.

The upgrade, which can be accomplished as part of a standard overhaul, does not require any aircraft or engine control system modifications and could be installed on up to 220 C-130Hs. The kit is also expected to be made available for international C-130 users at a later stage and could potentially be adapted for the T56-14 version that powers the P-3 maritime patrol aircraft.

Rolls says the kit will enable the C-130H to continue in operation until 2040 while improving reliability and ‘hot and high’ performance. The upgrade is expected to increase the range of the C-130H with a 20,000-lb. payload to more than 3,180 naut. mi., from 2,845 naut. mi., compared with a standard Series 3-powered aircraft under identical conditions.

Rolls-Royce is building a $42 million advanced manufacturing facility in Indianapolis to produce components for the T56 series as well as the AE and commercial engine families. The new facility, which will employ more than 100 workers when fully operational in 2014, will additionally produce stators for the Trent XWB.

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, and the United States Air Force will soon begin flight tests of an engine upgrade for the T56 turboprop engine, which powers the C-130H transport aircraft. The Series 3.5 upgrade is designed to deliver both fuel savings and reliability improvements, as well as improved Life Cycle Costs.

Lockheed Martin promoted its reduced-cost C-130XJ variant of the venerable Hercules tactical transport at FIDAE.

The US company's move might be seen as a direct challenge to Embraer. The Brazilian manufacturer has said previously that it is negotiating with Chile to sell the nation's air force six KC-390 jet-powered airlifters that it is developing.

In August 2010, the two South American states signed a declaration of intent that would see Chile's Enaer participate in the development of the KC-390.

Lockheed however, while not overtly stating it is targeting Chile's business, says that it has had numerous inquires from South American nations for the C-130XJ. The aircraft is anywhere from 10% to 15% cheaper than the standard C-130J produced for the US Air Force.

"We've tried to tailor the XJ so that it can have a lower price point and still give them the capabilities that they need," says Lockheed's Jim Grant, who oversees the C-130XJ effort.