Once Terminated, Now a Hit: The Air Force’s new C-130J model Hercules tactical airlifter escaped the Pentagon ax last year because it turned out to be more costly to cancel the program than finish the procurement. Now, it seems, the save was very prudent. “All of a sudden, they’re now starting to fall in love with the airplane,” remarked Air Force Secretary Wynne at a House hearing Wednesday. Wynne said that he expects “to get some pressure to actually increase the buy,” currently set at 79 aircraft. One reason, according to Chief of Staff Moseley, is the need to modify more C-130s for the special operations world. That could, said Moseley, “take us to more J models.”
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.