Defense News
02/16/2012
Singapore: Lockheed Unveils Plans for 2 C-130 Variants
By Wendell Minnick
SINGAPORE —
Lockheed Martin announced plans at the 2012 Singapore Airshow to create two
C-130J variants.
The C-130XJ
(Expandable J) and the SC-130J (Sea Herc) will offer customers more capability
choices than the current Super Hercules J model, said George Standridge,
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics’ vice president of business development.
The C-130XJ offers
the U.S. domestic and international markets a variant that does not feature all
the capabilities inherent in the C-130J, thus providing a significantly lower
price. However, the XJ’s capability can expand after delivery in a variety of
mission areas, except for the Enhanced Cargo Handling System, Standridge said.
Interest in the
C-130XJ will come from the special mission market, which uses roll on/roll off
mission packages, and operators that use airlift for low-threat air and land
transport of troops and equipment.
The C-130XJ will
retain all the provisions necessary to be fully configured for combat missions.
It will keep the current propulsion and avionics suite, and no changes will be
made to the current C-130J airframe.
The primary
airframe focus is on the short-body C-130J, but the C-130XJ package will offer
the C-130J-30 stretch version upon request. The C-130XJ will have the same
mission capabilities as the C-130J, including search and rescue, firefighting,
surveillance and reconnaissance, signals intelligence and close air support.
The SC-130J Sea
Herc will offer an affordable replacement for the P-3 Orion maritime patrol
aircraft (MPA) and anti-submarine warfare aircraft (ASW), Standridge said.
“You take the
well-proven C-130J and import the P-3 missions into the aircraft for maritime
surveillance and anti-submarine warfare,” he said.
The new variant
will provide a wide spectrum of MPA and intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance mission capabilities using roll on/roll off systems. The patrol radius
and endurance is on par with the P-3, but it features a new airframe and
updated ASW systems. The variant also saves costs by leveraging existing C-130J
fleet infrastructure, support system, spares and training, he said.
An artist’s conception provided by Lockheed of the Sea Herc shows it
firing a missile from a hardpoint under the wing.
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