Cannon AFB, N.M., last week received its seventh new-built MC-130J Commando II aircraft, announced manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The special-mission airplane arrived on June 20 direct from the company’s production facility at Marietta, Ga., states the company’s June 21 release. Assigned to Cannon’s 522nd Special Operations Squadron, aircraft no. 5695 will support covert infiltration and recovery, aerial refueling, and clandestine resupply, like Cannon’s other new MC-130Js. This airframe is the seventh of 11 aircraft slated for delivery to Cannon, according to Lockheed Martin. Air Force Special Operations Command is procuring the MC-130Js to replace legacy MC-130s in the fleet.
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.