Lockheed Martin has delivered the 150th C-130J Super Hercules built to date. The milestone aircraft is the eighth and final C-130J assigned to the 146th Airlift Wing, the California Air National Guard unit at Channel Islands Air National Guard Base near Oxnard. The aircraft was accepted on May 8 and flown to California by Brig. Gen. Darren W. McDew, Vice Commander of 18th Air Force at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

"The C-130J is an evolutionary leap in airlift technology compared to legacy C-130s," said Gen. McDew during the acceptance ceremony in Marietta. "This aircraft offers flexibility through greater range and payload for commanders as well as advanced situational awareness for aircrews. As the Air Force looks for ways to accomplish the mission more efficiently, the C-130J is a key contributor to that goal."

The 146th Airlift Wing has just returned from a 20-month deployment to Iraq where their Super Hercules aircraft were used as part of a C-130J joint force deployment for high tempo intra-theater operations. During the deployment, four C-130Js were flown on 5,444 sorties totaling 10,750 flight hours and the aircraft delivered 12,681 tons of cargo and carried 70,350 passengers.

The new C-130J is capable of generating much greater operational efficiencies than the older C-130s by flying further, faster, with more payload and higher reliability. Additionally, the C-130J only requires three crew members for most missions versus five in older models, so fewer flight crew members are exposed to potential threats in theater. C-130Js are currently deployed in two combat theaters and are operating at a very high tempo efficiently and reliably. C-130Js are being used daily for troop and equipment re-supply via ground delivery and airdrop, for air-to-air refueling, ground refueling and humanitarian relief. The worldwide fleet of C-130Js has now exceeded 350,000 flight hours.

In the U.S., Air Mobility Command, Air Education and Training Command, Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard units fly C-130Js. The Marine Corps operates KC-130J tankers and the Coast Guard flies the HC-130J. International C-130J operators include the Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Italian Air Force, and the Royal Danish Air Force.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company