C-130J Acquisition Program Restructured

C-130J Hercules(click to view full) The privately-developed C-130J Hercules variant has been the subject of heavy criticism and a 2005 near-death budget experience, followed by its reinstatement by Defense Secretary Rumsfeld on grounds that cancelling the contract would be almost as expensive as completing it – though a later report established that its cancellation costs were wildly overstated. The US has since issued a follow-on orders for the basic C-130J aircraft and some key variants (KC-130J tanker, EC-130J broadcaster, WC-130J weather, et. al.) in order to begin recapitalizing its decaying C-130 fleet, making the C-130J their successor by default. It has since been deployed into theater by the USAF, where its vastly improved performance in “hot and high” environments has come in very handy. Unlike the pending Airbus A400M, however, the C-130J doesn’t solve the sub-survivable 20-ton armored vehicle limit that has stymied multiple US armored vehicle programs from the Stryker IAV to Future Combat Systems. As such, it represents an improvement that fails to address US tactical airlift’s key bottleneck limitation. Air Force officials recently announced that the multi-year procurement contract for the C-130J Hercules has been changed… Sen. John McCain [R-AZ] In order to comply with the FY […]