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The Air Force is unable to fly 116 of its 128 C-130H cargo planes due to issues with how the propellers on the craft were assembled, Air Mobility Command confirmed Friday. The 116 affected planes, which consist of the C-130H model and variants, were initially grounded Tuesday. Inspections continue to figure out which of those aircraft have defective propeller barrels. “[The] propeller barrels in question had been installed in 100 C-130Hs, as well as the entire inventories of eight MC-130H Combat Talons, seven EC-130H Compass Calls, and one TC-130H,” according to Defense News. Air Mobility Command told Defense News that...

The U.S. Air Force has taken delivery of the first prototype Airborne High Energy Laser, or AHEL, which is set to be flight tested on one of its AC-130J Ghostrider gunships next year. The service hopes to demonstrate the feasibility of adding this directed-energy weapon to the AC-130J's already very diverse arsenal, which could give these aircraft a unique capability to engage ground targets silently and stealthily.Lockheed Martin confirmed yesterday that it had completed factory acceptance testing for the AHEL and then turned the weapon over to the Air Force. The laser will now need to be integrated together with...

The transporter was carrying more than 90 people, mostly troops, when it overshot the runway on Jolo island. The dead are mainly military personnel, but three civilians on the ground were also killed, the defence ministry said. Rescue workers scoured the wreckage of the Lockheed C130 Hercules in a wood near several buildings. The aircraft burst into flames on crashing, sending a large black cloud into the air. Several dozen people were injured, and five are still missing, the military said. A nearby military hospital treated survivors.

Information is very fragmented at this time, so details are bound to change, but reports state that a military aircraft has crashed somewhere near the Salton Sea in Southern California. Witnesses said they saw things dropping from the sky, possibly under parachutes, not long before an aircraft impacted the ground. We reached out to NAF El Centro, which is located nearby in the Imperial Valley, who told us that military and law enforcement air assets are on the scene, but they do not know specifically what crashed or even if it was one of the many Navy and Marine...

The crew of a U.S. gunship have been awarded bravery medals at a ceremony in Florida after they rained fire down on Islamic State militants for hours, as allied soldiers on the ground were whisked to safety. Forces on the ground came under heavy fire from ISIS militants in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan on April 3, 2019, in a ferocious fight which one Major on the ground likened to infamous WW2 battle Iwo Jima. They called for backup from 'Spooky 41' - a AC-13OU gunship, and the Hercules-variant plane arrived within minutes to provide covering fire and ensure medical helicopters could...

Three US firefighters died while battling wildfires in Australia when the C-130 tanker they were flying crashed in the southern section of the country, officials said Thursday. The firefighters were killed in the crash after leaving the town of Richmond in the New South Wales state on a firebombing mission, local officials said.

The NSW Rural Fire Service is investigating after reports of an incident involving an aircraft in southern NSW. Contact was lost with a C130 waterbomber aircraft working in the Snowy Monaro area. Ground crews fighting fires in the region have reportedly indicated the aircraft may have crashed. A search is being conducted by helicopters in the area known as Peak View, northeast of Cooma.

Chilean officials say they have located debris believed to be from an air force plane that went missing on Monday. They said the wreckage was found floating 30km (19 miles) from where the C-130 Hercules cargo plane with 38 people on board last made contact. The wreckage was spotted in a body of water known as the Drake Passage. The plane was en route from Chile's southern city of Punta Arenas to the country's Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva base in the Antarctic. The located debris "could be part of the remains of the sponges of the internal fuel tanks," Air...

Its last known position was about 390 nautical miles from Punta Arenas and 280 nautical miles from the Antarctic base, according to the Air Force. There were 17 crew members and 21 other passengers on board, who were on their way to perform "logistical support tasks" such as repairing the floating oil pipeline that provides fuel for the base, said the Air Force. In addition to crew members, the plane was also carrying personnel from the armed forces, an engineering firm, and the University of Magallanes. After the plane lost contact, the Air Force declared a state of alert and...

By April 1972, the American military presence in Vietnam had largely been reduced to air power. North Vietnam launched their Easter Offensive — the largest military invasion since China crossed the Yalu River during the Korean War. Soon, the 5th Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam'(ARVN) was surrounded by three enemy divisions at An Loc, the capital of Binh Phuoc province. Their only hope of the defenders was American air power, calling on B-52s and AC-130 gunships to hammer the enemy infantry and armor. The ARVN troops were holding out, but badly needed supplies. The roads to...

She favours Boeing on Air Force contracts for hiring daughter and daughter's boyfriend and, later, to protect daughter, who got a poor performance reviewWhile overseeing contracts, she meet Boeing secretly for $422,000 job there HE had long insisted that her work decisions were strictly professional. Then, she failed a lie-detector test. Finally, Darleen Druyun, the No 2 weapons buyer for the US Air Force, admitted that her weapons-buying decisions were influenced by a desire to curry Boeing's favour for herself and her family. The career of Druyun, once the most powerful woman in the Air Force, is over. Last...

PENSACOLA , Fla. (WEAR-TV) — The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are bidding farewell to their C-130T aircraft. The Blue Angels announced on Wednesday the aircraft known as Fat Albert is officially retiring. The Navy says Fat Albert has served the Blue Angels for 17-years and flown more than 30,000 hours in support of their missions. According to the U.S. Navy the current airframe, BUNO 164763, has been with the team since 2002 and was the last C-130 to conduct a jet-assisted take-off (JATO). The Navy says their team will be transported via Fleet-provided logistics until a permanent replacement aircraft is...

Caption -- Donald Trump and PM Modi at the G-20 Summit, PTI The United States is not going to put pressure on India to buy F-16 fighter jets or any other defence system, a senior US diplomat has said here. United States Consul General in Mumbai Edgard Kagan said India has purchased more than USD 15 billion worth of American defence materials and the US is "very proud" of the expanding defence ties between the two countries. Asked if there was a threat of the US imposing trade sanctions on India after its multi-billion deal with Russia for the S-400...

Think of aerobatics and it's fighter jets and light aircraft that spring to mind. But the crowds at the recent Farnborough Airshow were treated to the sight of a new Rolls-Royce-powered LM100-J Hercules transport plane pulling outrageously nimble manoeuvres – including a loop. The man at the controls was chief test pilot Wayne Roberts – and his stunt was caught on camera.

STATESBORO, GA (WTOC) - Pilots who have flown massive aircraft like the C-130 know all too well the challenges and dangers that come along with it. We spoke with a veteran pilot Thursday who is heartbroken for the airmen killed in the crash in Port Wentworth Wednesday. He says problems arise from the size, the weight, and the age of these aircraft. Derek Duke flew transport planes like the C-130 in his 30-year career as an Air Force pilot. He watched his television Wednesday through the coverage of the crash - heartbroken - but also trying to analyze what went...

Maybe someone can find a better link or post this in a better fashion. It is disturbing, so I caution viewing. I've never seen a C1 in that attitude. https://www.facebook.com/militarybadassery/videos/2103584846526766/

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Irma Update and an explanation of the Hurricane Hunters mission from a C-130 pilot's perspective.

TOKYO -- Japan could be on the verge of exporting its first piece of finished defense equipment. The government is considering sales of the Air Self-Defense Force's latest transport aircraft, the C-2, to the United Arab Emirates, The Nikkei learned on Saturday. Government ministries are already providing specifications and other related information about the vehicle to the UAE. Now the two countries have to conclude a treaty regarding the transfer of defense equipment and technology -- an essential step before the C-2 can be sent to the UAE. The C-2, developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, has a cruising range of...