Program to Convert MC-130Js for Amphib SOCOM use Stalls Out

The initial flight test for a float-equipped C-130 has been postponed indefinitely for the time being, with no ETA on when a demo could be expected.

The MC-130J Commando II Amphibious Capability (MAC) is a project undertaken by the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) to provide warfighters with a more mobile, convenient way to ferry small units throughout oceanic regions without sufficient airfield coverage. Perfectly suited to travel throughout the Pacific, an amphibious C-130 offers a cost-effective solution in a trusted, well-sorted platform. The original test flight was supposed to have taken place sometime in 2022, according to the 2021 media event publicizing the project. Like so many unusual (and likely smart, affordable, and promising) programs before it, the MAC may be anywhere from stillborn to in-development.

Curious about the program after more than a year of silence, Howard Altman of The War Zone did some gumshoeing to find out how the program is doing.

“We were initially aiming to conduct an operation capability demonstration in 2023,” said Air Force Captain Alicia Premo, a spokeswoman for Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). “However, for a variety of reasons, at this time we do not have the capability demonstration scheduled. Those reasons vary from funding challenges to a recent reprioritization of capabilities.”

"We're awaiting the outcome of the '23 budget process that continues to work its way through the Hill right now," said AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. James Slife in September 2022. 

At that time, it seemed likely the program would continue in 2023, but a shifting geopolitical landscape may have dampened enthusiasm as stakeholders focus their attentions away from the Pacific theater. "But our anticipation is that we will have a flying demonstration in the next calendar year."

After publication of Altman's initial quotes, Captain Premo followed up to affirm that the MAC program remains in limbo.

"A final determination on how AFSOC will allocate funds for future and pathfinding capabilities has not been finalized yet," she said. "Right now, a demo is not likely to happen in 2023."

FMI: www.afsoc.af.mil