MARIETTA, Ga., Nov. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) LM-100J commercial freighter received its type design update certification from the Federal Aviation Administration on Nov. 15. This particular FAA certification allows the LM-100J to operate from any commercial airfield in the world.

In 2014, Lockheed Martin announced it would update its existing FAA A1SO type certificate for its Model L-382J aircraft to be marketed as the LM-100J, a civil-certified production variant of the military proven C-130J Super Hercules.

The LM-100J is the modernized version of the Lockheed Martin L-100 freighter (Lockheed Model 382). More than 100 L-100s were produced from 1964-1992 at the then Lockheed-Georgia Co., facility in Marietta, Georgia, and many of these aircraft continue to support global operations today.

"Like its military counterparts, the worldwide L-100 fleet is a much tasked and much relied upon. As this fleet reaches the end of its operating life, customers told us the only replacement for the L-100 is an LM-100J," said Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Air Mobility & Maritime Missions line of business.

"This updated FAA certification enables the LM-100J to literally go anywhere in the world to fulfill the unique and demanding requirements it was built to support," McLean added. "As the LM-100J enters into service, we are proud that it will continue to exemplify and expand the already unmatched capabilities of the C-130J Super Hercules family."

Through select design changes, the LM-100J performs as a civil multi-purpose aircraft capable of rapid and efficient cargo transport and select specialized mission requirements. The LM-100J is an efficient and ideal airlift solution in delivering bulk and oversize cargo, particularly to austere locations around the world.

The LM-100J incorporates technological developments and improvements over the existing legacy L-100 freighters that result from more than two decades of C-130J operational experience, including more than 2 million fleetwide flight hours flown by crews in 19 nations around the world.  

"We had the unique opportunity to design and build a completely new commercial airlifter with insights from a proven airframe," said Marilou Franklin, director of the LM-100J Program at Lockheed Martin. "Our goal was to produce an airlifter that was as safe as it was capable as it was advanced. In partnering with our existing L-100 operators, our network of suppliers and the FAA, we did that ― and more ― with the LM-100J."

Notable operational LM-100J enhancements compared to a legacy L-100s include:

• 14% more fuel efficient
• 20% improvement in payload/range capability
• Automated maintenance fault reporting
• Unmatched situational awareness with digital avionics and dual HUD
• Fully CNS/ATM compliant with the FAA Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen)
• Enhanced Cargo Handling (ECHS) system
• Carbon brakes
• An FAA-certified commercial maintenance program

In addition, the LM-100J operating community has access to Lockheed Martin's Hercules Training Center (HTC) located in Marietta, Georgia, adjacent to the Super Hercules production line.

Extending a legacy of air mobility training, Lockheed Martin's HTC is a combined academic and simulator facility purpose-built for training efficiency. Training resources include dedicated LM‑100J initial qualification courses and a reconfigurable, FAA-certified Level D simulator. This training is provided by expert Lockheed Martin instructors who, combined, have more than 90 years of experience.

Next steps for the LM-100J program include the 2020 delivery of two aircraft to Pallas Aviation, the LM-100J launch operator.

For more information on the LM-100J, visit www.lockheedmartin.com/lm100j.

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company