L3 receives contract for Kuwaiti KC-130J work

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- L3 Vertex Aerospace is being awarded an $8.9 million contract to provide Kuwait with maintenance and logistics on the KC-130J Hercules tanker aircraft, the Department of Defense announced on Wednesday.

The contract applies toward equipment and logistical support for three KC-130J tankers operated by Kuwait and falls under foreign military sales funding guidelines. The contract is expected to expire in August 2022.

The KC-130J Hercules tanker is designed for mid-air refueling of military aircraft to extend their range and loitering time.

It is based on the original C-130 Hercules, a prop-driven cargo plane that has been in service with upgrades since 1954. The C-130 has been widely exported around the world and has been produced in many variants including cargo, gunship and refueling roles.

The KC-130J is capable of strike actions using the Harvest Hawk weapons pod. Harvest Hawk is a surveillance, intelligence and targeting unit that gives the KC-130J the ability to launch laser-guided Hellfire and Griffin missiles.