Lockheed C-130 Hercules KC-130F/R/T/J

The KC-130 is the family of extended-range tankers derived from the C-130 Hercules and operated by the United States Marine Corps. The KC-130F made its first test flight in January 1960 under the old Navy designation GV-1 and first entered service in 1962, designed to undertake aerial refuelling missions in support of USMC aircraft. It was followed by the KC-130R and KC-130T models, now known collectively as the legacy tankers.

The aircraft is a multi-role, multi-mission tactical tanker and transport. It provides in-flight refuelling to both tactical aircraft and helicopters within a 500-nautical-mile (930 km) operating radius, as well as rapid ground refuelling when required. Additional tasks include the aerial delivery of troops and cargo, emergency resupply into unimproved landing zones within the objective or battle area, emergency medical evacuation, the tactical insertion of combat troops and equipment, and evacuation missions. Technological development has brought night vision compatible interior and exterior lighting, night vision goggle head-up displays, global positioning system navigation and jam-resistant radios; some aircraft also carry defensive electronic and infrared countermeasures systems.

The KC-130J, the newest version, shares fifty-five per cent of the airframe with the preceding models but offers significant increases in operational capability and performance margins, while reducing cost of ownership through system reliability and fewer maintenance man-hours per flight hour. It offers a 27,215 kg fuel capacity that can be allocated between its own flight requirements and aerial refuelling offload using its wing and external tanks; when more is needed, a specially configured internal fuselage aluminium tank of 13,627 litres adds a further 11,064 kg, and the system also functions without the fuselage tank so that the cargo compartment remains available on the same mission. It refuels fixed-wing, tilt-rotor and rotary-wing aircraft by the standard probe and drogue technique: the two wing-mounted hose and drogue pods made by Sargent Fletcher can each transfer up to 1,136 litres per minute to two aircraft simultaneously, allowing a typical four-aircraft formation to be cycled in under thirty minutes. The refuelling speed envelope was widened from 100 to 270 knots indicated airspeed, and at 1,000 nautical miles the offload is well over 20,412 kg. For rapid ground refuelling the aircraft uses the so-called hotel mode, which slows the propellers to 25 per cent of their rotation speed while the turbines keep running and energise the generator: this eliminates prop wash so that ground forces can work in relative calm while the aircraft offloads up to 2,271 litres per minute.

The KC-130J also accepted the Marine Corps ISR and weapon mission kit known as Harvest HAWK (Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit), which turned it into an overwatch and fire-support platform carrying Hellfire and Griffin missiles and precision-guided bombs. The AN/AAQ-30 Target Sight System, the same used on the upgraded AH-1Z Viper, was mounted under the left wing's external fuel tank, and the typical loadout was four Hellfire and ten Griffin missiles. The entire system could be removed in less than a day and the aircraft retained its refuelling and transport capabilities. It was first test flown on 29 August 2009 by VX-20 and first deployed in October 2010 with VMGR-352; in 2026 the Marines confirmed the kit had been retired. The KC-130 has supported operations in the Vietnam War, Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and also took part in the Falklands War on the Argentine side. VMGR-252 at Cherry Point was the first fleet squadron to transition to the KC-130J, doing so without standing down from full-time fleet support, and made the type's first operational combat deployment in February 2005 when six aircraft went to Al Asad, Iraq. The KC-130J also serves as the baseline for the HC-130J combat rescue tanker and the MC-130J special operations tanker.