An Air Force crew last week picked up a factory-fresh MC-130J special-mission aircraft from Lockheed Martin’s manufacturing plant in Marietta, Ga., announced the company. Air Force Special Operations Command is assigning this MC-130J, which left Marietta on Sept. 25, to the 352nd Special Operations Group at RAF Mildenhall, Britain, according to the company’s release. The group is scheduled to receive a fleet of 12 MC-130Js over the next five years. AFSOC is acquiring the MC-130Js to replace its legacy MC130Hs and MC-130Ps. Overall, the Air Force’s current plans call for procuring 85 MC-130Js, 16 of which Lockheed Martin will modify post-production to the AC-130J gunship standard.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
