'Black Cats' Receive Their Sixth Aircraft

Lockheed Martin recently delivered a sixth C-130J Super Hercules to the 41st Airlift Squadron, a unit of the 463rd Airlift Group, at Little Rock Air Force Base, AR. The 41st, also known as the "Black Cats," is the first active-duty C-130J combat squadron in the Air Force.

Brig. Gen. Mark S. Solo, Deputy Director, Air, Space and Information Operations, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, IL accepted the new C-130J on behalf of the "Black Cats." The 41st recently began its first deployment to the Southwest Asia area of operations.

"The C-130J is a champion of air mobility and intra-theater airlift. Each J-model we receive brings greater range, speed and flexibility to the mobility arsenal," said Solo. "It's an honor to deliver such a vital capability to our warfighters at Little Rock who are employing the J-model in combat today in the War on Terror."

Lockheed says the new C-130J generates much greater operational efficiency than the older C-130s by flying farther, faster, with more payload and higher reliability. Additionally, the C-130J requires only three crew members for most missions so fewer flight crew members are exposed to potential threats in theater. C-130Js are now deployed in two combat theaters and are operating efficiently and reliably at a high tempo. C-130Js are being used daily for troop and equipment re-supply via ground delivery and airdrop, for air-to-air refueling, ground refueling and humanitarian relief. The worldwide fleet of C-130Js has now exceeded 425,000 flight hours.

In the United States, Air Mobility Command, Air Education and Training Command, Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard units fly C-130Js. The Marine Corps operates KC-130J tankers, and the Coast Guard flies the HC-130J. International C-130J operators include the Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Italian Air Force and Royal Danish Air Force. Norway and Canada have ordered new C-130J fleets and India has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance.

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com, www.littlerock.af.mil/