Airlifting 39,000 pounds of cargo on Aug. 23 to soldiers and marines in the eastern region of Afghanistan was just another daily mission for airmen of the 745th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, troops who fly and maintain the C-130s now deployed to Bagram Air Base there. USAF installed the C-130 unit in Afghanistan because the Hercules can handle such short haul missions into rough terrain.
A yearslong effort to find an affordable way to turn cargo planes into strike platforms is now an official program with anticipated fielding in 2027.