Lockheed Martin C-130J

The Royal New Zealand Air Force took delivery of its first Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules on Aug. 8 to kick off a much-needed fleet modernization.

The fiscal 2025 defense appropriations bill passed by Senate appropriators proposes to acquire 255 new military aircraft, or 19 more than the Pentagon requested.

Senate appropriators are seeking to reverse some of the Pentagon’s proposed development cutbacks as part of an $852.2 billion fiscal 2025 defense spending bill.

The U.S. Air Force is placing more precautions on its CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor fleet after investigators found a catastrophic failure of the aircraft’s gearbox.

As Farnborough Airshow opens a new stage for the rivalry between the C-130 and its competitor the C-390, Lockheed officials still claim the Hercules is winning.

Vienna is eager to replace its three Lockheed Martin C-130s that are now about 50 years old.

Autonomous pilot developer Merlin has acquired EpiSys Science, a multidomain autonomy developer, and plans to unite the software solutions of each company.

Autonomous flight system startup Merlin Labs has won a contract potentially worth $105 million to demonstrate a reduced aircrew capability for SOCOM C-130Js.

Plans to replace the three main fleets of mobility aircraft remain decades away, following the production run of the Next Generation Aerial Refueling System.

The Marines fielded the Harvest Hawk upgrade in 2010, adding a Target Sight Sensor (TSS) and the ability to fire AGM-114 Hellfire and AGM-176 Griffin missiles.

The U.S. Navy on April 18 received its first two Textron T-54A Multiengine Training System aircraft.

As the U.S. Air Force continues the planned retirement of its A-10 attack jet fleet, the service secretary says one country has reached out with some interest to obtain the aircraft.

The U.S. Navy in March received the first of 22 former Swiss Air Force Northrop F-5s that will be converted to adversary aircraft for Navy and Marines training.

The Ecuadorean Air Force FAE’s strategic decisions reflect a pragmatic approach to security needs, emphasizing adaptability and efficiency in the face of evolving challenges.

Now in its fourth year, the European Commission-led EDF aims to support defense research, development and cooperation among member states.

European industry could fly a rotorcraft technology demonstrator for a future military helicopter in the next phase of a European Union (EU)-funded research activity.

The venerable C-130’s cargo capacity, lower speed threshold and commonality across the region make it ideal for relief operations over the Gaza Strip.

For more information about Aviation Week Intelligence Network’s (AWIN) 2024 Military Fleet & MRO Forecast and other Aviation Week data products, please see: https://pgs.aviationweek.com/forecast

Reengining the C-17 and adding low-cost connectivity upgrades emerge as top priorities for Air Mobility Command.

Saudi Arabia and India will test the new appeal of the Embraer tanker-transport in a tactical airlift market long monopolized by Lockheed Martin.

The U.S. military in the coming days will start a campaign of air dropping aid to Palestinians in Gaza, President Joe Biden announced March 1.

Norway has joined the growing number of C-130J Hercules operators to begin upgrading its aircraft to the Block 8.1 standard.

Lockheed Martin plans to select local partners in India this summer to support sales for the C-130J, including the selection of a final assembly provider.

U.S. startup Merlin plans to demonstrate its autonomous flight technology on a Boeing KC-135 aerial refueling tanker under an agreement with the U.S. Air Force.

The AFWerx innovation unit is focused on cargo applications for advanced air mobility aircraft.