C130 Hercules aanpassingen

Gestart door Harald, 19/04/2016 | 15:59 uur

Harald

Lockheed Martin delivers high-energy laser for testing on AC-130J gunship

Lockheed Martin has delivered to the US Air Force its Airborne High Energy Laser system to be installed and tested on an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship.

https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/lockheed-martin-delivers-high-energy-laser-for-testing-on-ac-130j-gunship/145829.article

Harald

Collins tests advanced vision system for C-130J

EVS-3600 enhances pilot situational awareness, claims Collins Aerospace.

Collins Aerospace has successfully put its EVS-3600 enhanced vision system through its paces in a test flight aboard a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.

This latest milestone brings Collins closer to providing improved pilot situational awareness 'to military customers across the globe', the company claimed in a 21 September announcement.

EVS-3600 uses multiple-wavelength cameras to cut through poor-visibility conditions better than the human eye, Collins noted. Images from the system are shown to pilots on head-up displays.

Collins added that military operators would benefit from safer low-profile terrain flying in low-visibility conditions; easier visual confirmation of drop zone markings; fewer mission cancellations due to adverse weather conditions; and the use of heat signatures to make search-and-rescue operations easier and more efficient.

Crew feedback after the test flight 'confirms what we've known for quite some time — this technology can help save lives by improving threat detection while increasing safety margins and mission success rates for our militaries', said Dave Schreck, VP and GM for Military Avionics and Helicopters at Collins Aerospace.

Collins is now working with USAF Air Mobility Command on a longer, more comprehensive test of the EVS system and it claims to be 'on track' to complete prototype aircraft installation and airworthiness approval in 2023.

'The upgrade package is expected to be immediately available to the C-130J community thereafter,' the company added.

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/air-warfare/collins-tests-advanced-vision-system-for-c-130j/

Harald

USAF continues Hercules propeller upgrade



Collins Aerospace obtains another order to provide NP2000 propellers for C-130H aircraft.

The USAF has chosen Collins Aerospace to deliver NP2000 propeller systems for 26 additional Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules aircraft operated by the US Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

The USAF plans to retrofit approximately 140 C-130H with NP2000 and has now ordered propeller upgrades for 83 C-130H aircraft, Collins noted in a 21 September announcement.

The value of the latest order and its completion date were undisclosed.

Collins has installed the NP2000 on 16 USAF C-130Hs to date, including aircraft for the Georgia, Nevada and Wyoming Air National Guard.

NP2000 features eight composite blades and a digital Electronic Propeller Control System (EPCS). It delivers a 20% thrust increase during take-off, a 50% reduction in maintenance time and a 20db sound reduction in the cockpit compared to legacy propeller systems, Collins claimed.

The NP2000 is also in service on Northrop Grumman E-2 and C-2 aircraft and it has accumulated more than 1 million flight hours since entering service in 2004.

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/air-warfare/usaf-continues-hercules-propeller-upgrade/

Harald

Citaat van: Enforcer op 16/09/2021 | 13:57 uur
Ben benieuwd hoeveel het vliegbereik wordt beperkt door die vaste boot aan die C-130. Zit er een refueling systeem boven op de romp?



MC-130J Commando II is als basis genomen

Enforcer

Ben benieuwd hoeveel het vliegbereik wordt beperkt door die vaste boot aan die C-130. Zit er een refueling systeem boven op de romp?

Harald

Citaat van: Thomasen op 16/09/2021 | 11:58 uur
Voordeel is natuurlijk dat het nodige aan ondersteuningsuitrusting al is ingebouwd en grote bekendheid met het platform. Maar vraag me toch af of je niet beter gewoon een tiental US2's kunt kopen. Ziet er niet uit alsof het goed is voor de prestaties.

Idd want dat wordt ook als negatief effect benoemd, veel extra luchtweerstand dus bereik, snelheid e.d. veel lager.

Aankoop van Japanse ShinMaywa US-2 zou voor mijn gevoel ook een betere optie zijn, maar zal niet waarschijnlijk zijn in verband met buy American beleid.
De US-2 is wel een veel "kleiner" toestel in vergelijking met een J-versie Herc als je kijk naar cargo mogelijkheden, gewicht, personen, ...   

https://www.shinmaywa.co.jp/aircraft/english/us2/

Harald

It Looks Like A C-130 Seaplane Is Finally Happening

Air Force Special Operations Command says it needs an MC-130J on floats and it looks like it has a plan to get it.



...../....


Air Force Special Operations Command stated the following, which is pretty much what we summed up in May, in an official release dated September 14th, 2021:

The C-130J is an incredibly versatile aircraft, and since its creation, it's landed on rough fields, in arctic locations and even an aircraft carrier Yet, it cannot land on water, which covers about 71% of the planet. As national strategic objectives shift focus to littoral regions, Air Force Special Operations Command is advancing new approaches to expand the multi-mission platform's runway independence and expeditionary capacity.

In partnership with the Air Force Research Lab's Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (AFRL-SDPE) directorate, AFSOC is developing an MC-130J Commando II Amphibious Capability (MAC) to improve the platform's support of seaborne special operations. "The development of the MAC capability is the culmination of multiple lines of effort," said Lt Col Josh Trantham, AFSOC Science, Systems, Technology, & Innovation (SST&I) Deputy Division Chief. "This capability allows the Air Force to increase placement and access for infiltration, exfiltration, and personnel recovery, as well as providing enhanced logistical capabilities for future competition and conflict."


...../......

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42395/it-looks-like-a-c-130-seaplane-is-finally-happening

Sparkplug

A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Harald

SOFIC 2021: USSOCOM touts amphibious MC-130

The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is considering the design and development of an amphibious MC-130 aircraft to support operational requirements in the age of 'Great Power Competition' (GPC), service officials have disclosed.

Addressing delegates at the virtual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) on 19 May, the Program Executive Officer for Fixed Wing, Colonel Ken Kuebler, suggested the MC-130 Amphibious Capability (MAC) concept could allow the aircraft to "land and take off" from land and sea during the same mission.

Kuebler was unable to provide Janes with a projected timeline for the effort. However, USSOCOM's Fixed Wing Technology Insertion Roadmap, which was illustrated at the event, referred to a 2022–25 timeframe for the MAC.

Lockheed Martin's MC-130 Commando II aircraft is operated by the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and tasked with "clandestine, or low-visibility, single or multiship, low-level infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces". According to AFSOC documents, the aircraft is ideally suited to operating in "politically sensitive or hostile territories".

Referring to the historic consideration by the US Department of Defense to design an amphibious C-130 aircraft, Kuebler suggested there was "enough command interest" at USSOCOM to pursue the MAC concept today.

"There is enough of a focus on peer and near-peer as we look at emerging threats. Is it going to be cost effective? That's why we have several lines of effort early on and there will be plenty of off-ramp [opportunities] along the way to determine if we move forward," he said.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/sofic-2021-ussocom-touts-amphibious-mc-130?utm_campaign=Newsroom&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=cf



Het idee is niet nieuw om een "drijvende" C-130 te ontwikkelen.





Amphibious MC-130J Transport Is On Special Operations Command's Wishlist


he U.S. military is once again looking at the potential of an amphibious C-130 Hercules variant to operate from littoral areas in support of special operations forces. The project, which in its early stages, has yielded an artist's concept of an MC-130J Commando II multi-mission combat transport fitted with large underslung floats mounted on the fuselage. The MC-130J is the latest Air Force special operations version of the Hercules, intended to penetrate into denied areas to insert, extract, or resupply special operations forces, as well as refuel helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft.

The new effort, known as the MC-130J Amphibious Capability, or MAC, came to light today in a briefing given by U.S. Air Force Colonel Ken Kuebler, U.S. Special Operations Command's (SOCOM) Program Executive Officer for Fixed Wing (PEO-FW), at the annual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC). At a media roundtable later in the day, Kuebler added that feasibility and operational studies regarding the project are going on now and that the command is working with unspecified "innovative partners" to hopefully prove out a lot of the concept using digital design tools. This, in turn, could help speed up the research and development and help keep costs low.

It's important to note that, while the concept art in Kuebler's briefing, seen at the top of this article, shows huge floats added to an MC-130J, he stressed that the MAC concept is looking for an amphibian aircraft able to operate from the land, as well as bodies of water. A basic floatplane would not be able to operate from land, but adding wheels to the floats could give it this capability. There are other possibilities, as well, for how the aircraft could be made truly amphibious.

.../....

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40694/amphibious-mc-130j-transport-is-on-special-operations-commands-wishlist

Sparkplug

RAAF C-130J Gets High-Speed SATCOM

J C Menon

20. November 2020

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has installed a high-speed Satellite Communications (SATCOM) system on a second C-130J HERCULES, providing in-flight internet connection to crew and passengers. A total of six aircraft will receive the upgrade with the first C-130J having been equipped with the antenna and associated avionics equipment in late 2017.

The RAAF is the first C-130J Hercules operator in the world to install the Ka-band SATCOM system in its fleet. This allows live-streaming of high-definition video and connectivity to headquarters and other nodes around the world. The Ka-band capability substantially increases the bandwidth compared to L Band, enabling increased data transmission and simultaneous connections by multiple users. Commander Air Mobility Group Air Commodore Carl Newman said the high-speed SATCOM capability would allow aircrew and passengers to better respond during dynamic scenarios.

Greater Connectivity

Historically, crew and passengers on a HERCULES have been limited to using HF radio for long-range communication while in flight. In 2015, Air Force began equipping its fleet of 12 C-130Js with L-band SATCOM, which provided global voice and limited data connectivity. Each Ka-band modification requires fitting a SATCOM antenna and fairing on the spine of the Hercules, along with equipment inside the cargo bay to provide local and wireless area networks.

No. 37 Squadron, which operates Air Force's C-130J fleet from RAAF Base Richmond, will receive a third aircraft with the Ka-band SATCOM capability by April next year. The modification is undertaken by Airbus Australia Pacific at RAAF Base Richmond, utilising an antenna provided by Honeywell and connectivity to the Inmarsat network. This year, RAAF conducted a trial to remotely pilot an Unmanned Aerial System using the Ka-band SATCOM antenna while the aircraft was in flight. In late 2017, the SATCOM was used during Operation Christmas Drop, live-streaming video on Facebook during an airdrop of supplies to a remote West Pacific atoll.

https://euro-sd.com/2020/11/articles/exclusive/19964/raaf-c-130j-satcom/
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Harald

Collins Aerospace receives new orders for C-130 NP2000 propeller system

Raytheon Technologies company Collins Aerospace Systems announced on 14 September that it will deliver NP2000 propeller systems for 30 more Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules aircraft operated by the US Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/air-warfare/collins-aerospace-receives-new-orders-c-130-np2000/


Collins Aerospace Systems has received an order for an additional 30 of its NP2000 propeller systems to be installed on US Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules medium transport/multirole aircraft, according to a company statement.

With the receipt of this new order, bringing the total order to 55 C-130Hs, Collins Aerospace continues progress toward the USAF's plan to retrofit roughly 160 C-130H aircraft with the NP2000 system. The NP2000 features eight composite blades and a digital electronic propeller control system (EPCS) that brings a 20% thrust increase during take-off, a 20 db sound reduction in the cockpit, and a 50% reduction in maintenance man-hours.

Collins Aerospace Systems is now under contract to deliver 91 NP2000 systems to various Pentagon customers. The company has installed 34 of its 91 NP2000 orders from these Department of Defense customers.

Collins Aerospace Systems has 24 orders from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to install new propeller systems on the C/KC-130T aircraft and has installed 17. Collins Aerospace Systems has installed all 10 orders for the NP2000 on the USAF 109th Airlift Wing's LC-130 aircraft.

The company has also installed its two orders from the USAF Air Worthiness Review (AWR) for the NP2000 on the unit's C-130H test aircraft. Of its 55 orders for the NP2000 from the Air Force Reserve and ANG for their C-130H platforms, Collins Aerospace Systems has installed five.

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/afa-2020-collins-aerospace-systems-secures-new-orders-for-np2000-propeller-system-on-c-130h-aircraft


Parera

#12
Citaat
Via twitter.com/FMangosingINQ

PH Air Force turns one of its C-130 cargo planes into a proper maritime patrol aircraft with the acquisition of Special Airborne Mission Installation and Response (Sabir) system from the US. @inquirerdotnet





Harald

KC-130J completes successful Harvest HAWK Plus testing

The Tactical Airlift Program Office (PMA-207) Integrated Warfighting Capability (IWC) Weapons team celebrated a successful five-week developmental and integrated test (DT/IT) live fire event utilizing a newly configured KC-130J with the Harvest Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit (HAWK) Plus (HH+) installed.  The HH+ flawlessly completed multiple sorties, demonstrating successful strikes on both fixed and moving targets.

"The successful employment of this capability during live fire closed out the developmental and integrated test and positioned us to move into the follow-on test and evaluation phase of the program. The KJ IWC team did an outstanding job with our industry partners to correct hardware and software deficiencies with such dramatic results.  The HH+ weapons kit will provide a significant combat multiplier to the Marine Air Ground Task Force," said CAPT Steve Nassau, PMA-207 Program Manager.

The live fire test, conducted at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California also included four dedicated tactical integration flights to support operational test objective in conjunction with the weapons tactics instructor (WTI) course at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona.

"These flights proved to be some of the most fruitful flights of the entire detachment," said Major Nate Houle, test pilot/project officer for Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX-20). "The repeated ability of multiple fleet operators to rapidly learn and employ the system in an operationally relevant tactical scenario within a short time span became a staple of each flight. To a Marine, each operator left the flight impressed with the system and eager for fleet deployment."

Houle goes on to recommended that any opportunities to integrate DT/IT with WTI courses in the future should be capitalized on.

"The success of the live fire event was directly attributed to the selfless dedication and hard work of the KJ IWC IPT, Fleet Marines, VX-20 test personnel, China Lake Range personnel, industry partners and MAWTS-1 Marines.  This is a testament to inter-agency cooperation and team work that needs to be nutured for future efforts as a recipe for success," said Brian Katafiaz, PMA-207 KC-130J Integrated Warfighting Capability IPT Lead.

The HH+ mission is to provide the U.S. Marine Corps with extended endurance multi-sensor imagery, reconnaissance and on-call close air support capabilities.  The HH+ is an upgrade to the original Harvest HAWK roll-on, roll-off precision strike package weapons system.

Not to rest on their successes, the KJ IWC team is developing an engineering change proposal (ECP) to improve the Hellfire weapons capacity and allow for future capability expansion. This ECP will ensure the KJ platform is sensor shooter, electronic warfare and digitally interoperable capable, and in line with the Deputy Commandant for Aviation's goal.

http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.NAVAIRNewsStory&id=6864

Harald

Close look at the USAF's first eight-blade C-130H

Upgraded C-130 arrives for testing

The first to cut through an unusual afternoon fog was the sound that seemed like a swarm of millions of insects angrily buzzing in unison. Then, the nose of a C-130 popped through that dense whiteness followed by 32 spinning blades creating the ominous sound.

The Air Force's first fully upgraded C-130H arrived here Jan. 11 to begin testing.

The Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing-owned aircraft will be here for several months undergoing multiple test flights. The goal of these evaluations is to collect data and confirm the increased fuel efficiency, reliability and overall performance improvements gained from the new propellers and upgraded engines.

The benefits of the upgrades include shorter take-off roll, improved climb, quieter operations, and lower operating and support costs, according to Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, the program office for the test.

"With these modifications, we'll see significant improvements that are needed to ensure longevity and mission flexibility," said Maj. Leanna Thomas, 153rd AW C-130H pilot.

The flight testing will be conducted by 153rd AW and C-130 Combined Test Force aircrews. ANG Airmen will maintain the aircraft during its time here.

The Wyoming Air National Guard was chosen specifically to receive the C-130H because of its involvement in the initial testing with the new systems in 2008, when the Air Force explored the idea of upgrading the H-model.

"When we add these modifications to all of our aircraft, we will greatly increase the reliability and performance of the C-130H," said Col. Justin Walrath, 153rd AW commander.

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/262274/upgraded-c-130-arrives-testing





Harald

Upgraded C-130H legacy aircraft

CHEYENNE – It was a historic day for the Wyoming Air National Guard on Saturday as a modernized C-130H Hercules aircraft flew into Cheyenne for the first time.

The H model C-130s are considered "legacy" airplanes in the Air National Guard, crafted about 30 years ago. Newer J model aircraft are still being manufactured, but cost taxpayers a pretty penny. By making three separate engine-related modifications to improve the performance of the legacy models, the military is able to make good use of its budget, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its missions and better ensure the safety of men and women in uniform.

"It's a culmination of years of effort for the (153rd Airlift Wing based in Cheyenne) and for the Wyoming Air National Guard," said Col. Paul Lyman, Wyoming Air National Guard commander. "It started as a vision of senior leadership and partnering with industry ... to improve on a plane we already had."


The upgrades include:
•Installation of four Rolls-Royce T56 series 3.5 engines to improve aircraft performance, fuel efficiency and reliability through the use of redesigned air inlet housing, updated turbine and improved compressor blades and seals.
•Implementing digitally-controlled Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation modular and composite eight-bladed propeller systems to replace four metal propellers and provide increased low-speed operational performance and decrease propeller maintenance time.
•Replacing advanced electronic propeller control systems with hydraulic controls to increase propeller acceleration response while an in-flight propeller balancing system decreases maintenance down-time.

Many airmen witnessing the modified C-130 land Saturday commented not only on the eight-blade propellers, but on how quiet the aircraft was compared to the other seven legacy models on the base.

"(Saturday) is a hugely exciting day to not only see the propellers, but also the engines behind the propellers," Lyman said. "It's a great, exciting day for Wyoming and the 153rd."

The successful modification of the legacy model demonstrates an ability to extend the life and usefulness of the decades-old aircraft by 30-40 years, Lyman said.

The H model ended production about 20 years ago, said Col. Kevin Campbell, National Guard director of plans and requirements. Around 30 years ago, the production of J models started, and continues to this day. Modifying the H models costs around 10-20 percent of the price tag for a new J model, Campbell said.

With the H model comprising the vast majority of aircraft flown in the Air National Guard, he said the cost-savings of upgrading legacy models will add up.


Campbell said the project couldn't have happened without the men and women of the 153rd Airlift Wing and Maj. Gen. Luke Reiner, adjunct general for Wyoming and Wyoming Military Department director.

"They have been an instrumental part in volunteering manpower, time and the aircraft to do all this testing," he said.

The modified aircraft flew into Cheyenne on Saturday from Kiln, Mississippi, for minor maintenance and a wash before it heads south to Florida for two years of testing.

Newer J model aircraft have higher-performance levels than the legacy models. How the upgraded H model aircraft compares to the newer aircraft will be one of the things airmen will be looking at during the upcoming testing.

"All we have now is postulated data, but we will see performance (with the H model) that is on the par with the J model," Campbell said.

"There are going to be areas where the J model will still outperform and there are areas where this airplane might show more capability. But the goal was getting J model-like performance without having the money to go out and buy 172 more J models."