The 2,500th C-130 airframe produced on Lockheed Martin’s production line at Marietta, Ga., was delivered to the 71st Rescue Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., last week, the company announced. “The Hercules is a global asset and versatile workhorse that is truly without equal. This delivery represents the C-130’s strength in numbers and its ongoing relevancy to operators around the world,” company C-130 Vice President and General Manager George Shultz said in a release. Since Lockheed delivered the first C-130A to the Air Force in 1956, a total of 68 international operators have logged more than 22 million flying hours, according to the company. Lockheed Martin’s current production of C-130J Super Hercules alone has accrued more than 1.3 million flight hours in service with 16 different countries. The HC-130J Combat King II rescue support aircraft, serial number 13-0782, was delivered to Moody on Dec. 11, stated a release.
As the Air Force readied for its June 21-22 strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the service was also putting its Agile Combat Employment strategy into action, dispersing combat aircraft and Airmen from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in preparation for a possible Iranian retaliatory attack. Some defense experts say…
