In response to growing global demand for C-130J military transport and its LM-100J commercial variant, a new International Training Center will be built at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta, Ga., facilities, the firm announced Sept. 8. The ITC will be co-located with the production line for the aircraft, and will have academic classrooms and simulators to support training for both military and commercial crews, including initial qualification training, refresher courses, and instructor qualification. The company is investing in the project to provide an “integrated solution” for the next generation of air mobility crews, said Jon Rambeau, the vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s training and logistics division. “As military and commercial customers modernize and expand their fleets, we see an opportunity to offer increased value … through this [training center],” he added. The ITC is now under construction and company officials say it will open in 2018.
The U.S. thwarted a drone attack on U.S. forces at Al Asad air base in western Iraq on April 22, marking the first time that American troops have been targeted since February, U.S. officials said. “We can confirm it was an attack on Al Asad,” a defense official told Air & Space…