Lockheed Martin formally delivered the first C-130J-30 for the U.S. Air Force during ceremonies today in Rhode Island. The 143rd Airlift Wing, the Air National Guard Unit based at Quonset State Airport, will operate the new aircraft.

"Delivering new aircraft to a new operator is one of the greatest honors for an aircraft manufacturer," said Ross Reynolds, Lockheed Martin's C-130J program vice president. "This is the first time this Wing has received new equipment directly from the manufacturer, and I know they are as excited about this day as I am."

No other aircraft offers the combined flexibility of strategic deployment of troops and armor, as well as intratheater, austere environment, tactical operations. For example, a close formation of 31 C-130J-30s will be able to drop 2,800 troops -- an entire Army brigade -- in less than five minutes. Although designated a tactical airlifter, the C-130J-30 has demonstrated strategic capabilities with unrefueled, non-stop flights of more than 4,000 miles.

The 143rd will receive three C-130J-30 aircraft this year from Lockheed Martin's Marietta, Ga., production facility. These are the first of the "stretched" C-130Js to be operated by any unit in the U.S. The current plan calls for replacing all nine of the wing's 1960s-vintage C-130Es over the next several years.

The new C-130J-30 is based on the standard C-130J model, but its fuselage is longer than the standard model, providing the greater airlift capability required by many operators, including the U.S. Air Force. The Rhode Island aircraft are the first stretched C-130Js to be equipped with the computer-controlled Enhanced Cargo Handling System, which allows precise airdrop event sequencing and quick conversion from cargo floor tie-downs to rollers for palletized cargo.

Recent testing satisfied U.S. Army and Air Force requirements to deploy paratroops safely from both sides of the C-130J-30 aircraft. With this success, Lockheed Martin has demonstrated that the C-130J-30 brings a new level of airdrop capability both to the Air Force as operator and the Army as end user.

When compared with the standard model, the J-30 can be used to carry 128 combat troops instead of 92, and 92 paratroops instead of 64. It can also carry eight standard 463L pallets rather than six, 97 medical litters instead of 74, and 24 container delivery system (CDS) bundles instead of 16.

Worldwide, 111 C-130Js and J-30s have been ordered. Current customers include the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Italian Air Force and the Royal Danish Air Force.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a leader in the design, development, systems integration, production and support of advanced military aircraft and related technologies. Its customers include the military services of the United States and allied countries throughout the world. Products include the F-16, F-22, F-117, C-5, C-27J, C-130, P-3 and U-2. The company recently won the competition to develop and produce the multi-service, multinational Joint Strike Fighter.

LM Aeronautics is a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, headquartered in Bethesda, Md. Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced-technology systems, products and services. The corporation's core businesses are systems integration, space, aeronautics and technology services.

For information on Lockheed Martin Corporation, visit: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

For information on Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, visit: http://www.lmaeronautics.com/

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Corporation