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Another Air National Guard airlift wing is set to convert to new intratheater cargo planes.
The Air Force announced April 18 that it has selected the 153rd Airlift Wing in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to convert from aging C-130H Hercules aircraft to the more advanced C-130J Super Hercules.
The C-130J has a longer fuselage, more powerful engines and digital avionics, which enable it to fly more cargo faster and farther than the C-130H.
This significant series upgrade requires new flight qualification for C-130H pilots and loadmasters transitioning airframes, while removing the navigators and flight engineers from the aircrew, according to the announcement.
Lockheed Martin has manufactured the C-130 continuously since 1954.
The first J models are scheduled to arrive in Cheyenne in early 2028.
Last week's announcement contributes to a relatively rapid — yet long overdue — recapitalization of much of the Air Guard's C-130 fleet.
In 2021, the Air Guard had 17 C-130 wings; 15 flew the H model, which needed extensive modernization, including new engines and avionics.
The active-component Air Force has operated nothing but J models since 2017.
Today, the Air Guard has 16 C-130 wings; seven currently fly or are converting to the J model.
Four more — the 103rd Airlift Wing in Connecticut, the 120th Airlift Wing in Montana, the 133rd Airlift Wing in Minnesota and the 182nd Airlift Wing in Illinois — are set to begin converting to C-130Js in 2026 and 2027.
Most Air Guard C-130 units are authorized eight aircraft.
The addition of the 153rd Airlift Wing to the fielding plans means no more than four Air Guard airlift wings will be flying C-130Hs by 2029.
The recapitalization surge is largely a product of NGAUS working with Congress.
The Air Force has provided a few aircraft from excess active-component stock for some of the conversions, but Congress, at the association's request, funded the vast majority.
Since 2017, lawmakers have added 66 C-130Js to defense appropriations.
The Air Force has never included a single J model for the Air Guard in the president’s annual budget request.
Modernization and recapitalization of the Air Guard's C-130 fleet is a NGAUS legislative priority.
─ By John Goheen
