LITTLE ROCK, Ark., March 14 (UPI) -- The first C-130J Super Hercules to join an active-duty U.S. Air Force combat unit was flown into Little Rock Air Force Base Tuesday by a four-star general.
Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of the Air Mobility Command, was at the controls of the C-130J when it lifted off the runway at the Lockheed Martin plant in Marietta, Ga., en route to the 463rd Airlift Group headquarters in Arkansas. The 463rd provides worldwide airlift service and has had subordinate units routinely deployed to Iraq.
"The C-130J is one of the crown jewels of air mobility and the workhorse of the fleet," McNabb said as he accepted the plane during a ceremony at Lockheed. "I am so exited about this aircraft and what it will do for air mobility."
Lockheed said the general had every reason to be chomping at the bit since the C-130J has capabilities the older models of the Hercules don't. The new plane offers greater range, speed and payload capacity than previous versions and requires only a three-person crew.
The J model is already in operation with Reserve and National Guard units as well as the Coast Guard and four allied air forces.
The entire C-130J program nearly became history in 2004 when the Pentagon cancelled the project. The program has since been authorized by Congress to run past its earlier scheduled end date of 2009.
