USAF Europe And Africa Airlift Missions Strengthened By Another C-130J Super Hercules Delivery

Maj. Gen. Ronald "Ron" Ladnier, commander, 17th Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Africa, recently accepted the fifth of 14 Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] C-130Js to be based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

"We are excited about getting another C-130J," Maj. Gen Ladnier said. "When you look across the Department of Defense at what this country is doing, you can’t help but be proud of our soldiers, our sailors, our Airmen and our Marines. If you think about it a minute or two longer you realize you have to get to a fight to fight the fight; you’ve got to sustain the fight to stay in the fight; you’ve got to get to the disaster area if you are going to lend a helping hand. You quickly come to the conclusion that the C-130J is a big part of anything we do in this country - and we certainly couldn’t live without it."

The C-130Js based at Ramstein will also support the airlift needs of the newly established Africa Command. "When you look at the power of the C-130J, and the legs (range) that it has, it is ideally suited to the size of the African continent and our mission there," Gen. Ladnier said.

Ten C-130Js will be delivered to Ramstein this year, with four more scheduled for delivery in 2010. These 14 new Js will support the Ramstein-based 37th Airlift Squadron that has been flying C-130Es. The new aircraft are the longer C-130J-30 configuration, which is now the standard for recapitalizing the USAF and many other air forces around the world. Gen. Ladnier accepted the newest aircraft on Sept. 1.

C-130Js are engaged in high-tempo operations in multiple combat theaters and are routinely deployed in support of both peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. The C-130J is a proven airlifter that has been selected by 10 nations, with 177 aircraft delivered through the second quarter of this year. The C-130J is a flexible, multimission aircraft that has been delivered in multiple and varied configurations to meet a wide range of operational needs. The C-130J fleet has accumulated over 500,000 flight hours.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.