C-130J Program Attacked by Watchdog Groups
The C-130J Hercules medium transport aircraft is already slated for cuts in the proposed 2005 budget. Recently, a series of watchdog groups have added fuel to the fire by coming out against the C-130J: Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS), Military Money Project (MMP), the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), and the National Taxpayers Union (NTU). A series of government reports have identified various issues with the program, including subsystem reliability, software, defensive features, and its relative cost vs. the inflation-adjusted figures for older C-130 versions. POGO’s C-130J archive summarizes the case being made by opponents of the C-130J program, and adds numerous links to relevant news items.
The C-130J is a modification of the C-130H, undertaken by Lockheed Martin at company expense, with intended sales to the United States and various foreign markets. Key aims include reducing the life-cycle cost of the tactical airlift fleet, an emerging Air Force concern.
