Lockheed MC-130

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MC-130
An MC-130P Combat Shadow assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Group takes off from Langkawi, Malaysia shuttling humanitarian relief supplies into Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
Type	STOL special operations military transport aircraft
Manufacturer	Lockheed Corporation
Introduced	1960s
Status	In use
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	MC-130E - 14, MC-130H - 24, MC-130W - 1 (12 projected)
Unit cost	$155 million
Developed from	C-130 Hercules

The Lockheed MC-130 is the basic designation for a family of special-missions aircraft operated by the United States Air Force. Based on the C-130 Hercules transport, they are designed to provide infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces, as well as psychological operations support and helicopter air refueling. Variants include the MC-130E Combat Talon I, MC-130H Combat Talon II, MC-130P Combat Shadow, and MC-130W Combat Spear.

Contents 1 Variants 1.1 MC-130E Combat Talon I 1.2 MC-130H Combat Talon II 1.3 MC-130P Combat Shadow 1.4 MC-130W Combat Spear 2 Specifications 3 See also 4 References

[edit] Variants

[edit] MC-130E Combat Talon I

The MC-130E was developed in the early 1960s. The Combat Talon I was equipped with an electronic and infrared (IR) countermeasures suite and terrain-following radar, enabling it to avoid enemy radar and anti aircraft weapons. ^[1] It also featured a Fulton surface-to-air recovery system, which could be used to extract personnel and materials via air. A large helium balloon would raise a nylon lift line into the air, which would then be snagged by a large scissors-shaped assembly (called whiskers) on the nose of the plane, which were normally laid back alongside the nose but deployed pointing forward in a V-shape for the line capture when in use. The whiskers snagged the line and released the balloon, yanking the attached cargo off the ground with a shock less than that of an opening parachute. Wires stretched from the nose to both leading wing tip edges protected the propellors from the line on missed snag attempts. Crew members hooked the snagged line as it trailed behind and attached it to the hydraulic winch, pulling the attached person or cargo into the plane through the rear cargo door.

The Fulton recovery system has since been removed from all Combat Talon aircraft.

The Combat Talon I also features refueling pods which allow in-flight refueling of properly equipped helicopters. The refueling system utilizes two removable 1,800 gallon fuel tanks (known as a Benson Tanks) which expand the aircraft's fuel capacity.

The Combat Talon I first saw operational action in the Vietnam War. The aircraft was used to drop leaflets over North Vietnamese positions, and to insert special forces units into enemy territory. Officially referred to as Operation Stray Goose, the mission required Combat Talon I crews to fly alone and unescorted into dangerous areas. Following the war, the aircraft would remain in active service, with its crews participating in training missions.

The aircraft saw action in Operation Eagle Claw (the failure of which demonstrated the United States' poor management of special operation forces after Vietnam), Operation Just Cause from December 1989 to January 1990 in the American action to restore democracy in the Republic of Panama.

Operation Desert Storm saw the Combat Talon I in action again. The aircraft performed one-third of all airdrops during the campaign, and participated heavily in psychological operations. Combat Talon I crews dropped several BLU-82 Daisy Cutter bombs and flew several leaflet-drop sorties in the war's opening stages, then converted to a search and rescue role as the conflict progressed.

The Talon I terrain following radar system allows it to fly at extremely low altitudes. This capability allows it to avoid enemy radar detection systems. It is often said that the Talon I is "heard before it is seen" since it can fly so close to the ground. The aircraft utilizes three distinct radar systems to accomplish this feat.

[edit] MC-130H Combat Talon II

The MC-130H Combat Talon II first entered active service in 1990.^[2] Originally designed to replace the Combat Talon I, an increase in the requirement for special-operations-capable aircraft stalled plans to retire its older cousin. ^[3] The Combat Talon II features a stronger airframe and modifications to the rear and aft cargo doors. The electronics suite has been upgraded, and includes Global Positioning System navigation, special radars for navigating in adverse weather, and night-vision capability. These new technologies allow the Combat Talon II to fly as low as 250 feet (76 m) above ground level, and make faster, more accurate airdrops. Increases in automation also reduce the aircrew by two.^[2]

The first combat deployment of a Combat Talon II was in 1996 when special operations units were deployed to Liberia where crews assisted in the evacuation of 2000 civilians from the American embassy when the country broke down into civil war. Similar circumstances brought the Combat Talon II to Zaire in 1997. Later that year, MC-130H missions carried commando units into Cambodia.^{[citation needed]} A Combat Talon II aircrew earned the Mackay Trophy for an embassy evacuation mission in the Republic of the Congo in June 1997. The crew rescued thirty Americans and twenty-six foreign nationals, and involved twenty-one hours of flight time.^[4]

[edit] MC-130P Combat Shadow

The MC-130P series of aircraft started life as HC-130P rescue aircraft, but due to funding issues were redesignated after transferring to AFSOC. The Combat Shadow flies single or multi-ship low-level air refueling missions for special operations helicopters, and infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces by airdrop or airland. The MC-130P primarily flies missions at night to reduce probability of visual acquisition and intercept by airborne threats.^[5] The MC-130P has been continuously active in combat operations since Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) supporting coalition and joint special operation forces throughout the world. There are three operational squadrons: 9th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) Eglin AFB, FL; 67 SOS Mildenhall AFB, England; and 17 SOS, Kadena AFB, Okinawa Japan.

[edit] MC-130W Combat Spear

The first MC-130W was presented to Air Force Special Operations Command on June 28, 2006. The aircraft was developed to replace MC-130 Combat Talon/Shadow combat losses experienced since 1997. The program modifies C-130H aircraft from the 1987 to 1990 year group, which is the same time period as the Combat Talon fleet currently in AFSOC service. The new aircraft are not as capable as the Combat Talon, but are still more capable than a standard C-130H, plus they have the ability to air-to-air refuel special operations helicopters.^[6]

[edit] Specifications

Data from United States Air Force Factsheet

General characteristics

• Crew: 7
• Capacity: 77 troops, 52 paratroopers or 57 litter patients
• Length: 99 feet, 9 inches (30.4 meters)
• Wingspan: 132 feet, 7 inches (40.4 meters)
• Height: 38 feet, 6 inches (11.7 meters)
• Max takeoff weight: 155,000 pounds (69,750 kilogram)
• Powerplant: 4× 1 Allison Engine Company T56-A-15 turboprop engines, 4,910 shaft horsepower (3660 kW) each

Performance

• Cruise speed: 300 mi/hr (482 km/hr)
• Range: 2,700 nautical miles (4,344 kilometers)
• Service ceiling 33,000 feet (10,000 meters)

[edit] See also

Related development

• C-130 Hercules
• AC-130 Spectre
• EC-130 Commando Solo
• Lockheed HC-130
• Lockheed MC-130
• Lockheed WC-130
  

Related lists

• List of active United States military aircraft
  

[edit] References

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