The US Air Force and its Special Operations Command will continue their plans to convert this weaponized MC-130J into sea-capable airplanes.
In particular, there are two projects in the vast Pacific region to see if the Hercules cargo plane can be modified to do more than it was designed to do. The first is to turn the ocean into a landing zone and, second, to retrofit the planes into makeshift bombers. Despite China's anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy in the Indo-Pacific, convert it to a bomber or a seaplane.
USAF Utilizes Assets Against Technologically Advancing PLA
Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, the head of AFSOC, made this statement while addressing the media on Tuesday. He continued by saying that the Hercules airlifter can be used for more than just carrying cargo, reported Defense News.
If successful, the first flights of the converted cargo ships will start in 2023, which could create new possibilities for where and how special operations units can transport supplies around the globe.
Slife underscores that it is feasible to land a cargo plane that has been converted or to transport special forces and equipment anywhere in the world via the ocean. He added that it ought to worry their enemies, noted Yahoo.
For the forthcoming US Air Force fiscal year, which begins on October 1, Congress has not yet endorsed a defense spending plan.
AFSOC's funding for MC-130J test flights is connected to that process, so its original due date for testing the concept by the end of the year would presumably be delayed indefinitely. The official added that the design is being tested in a wave tank to ensure stability. Accordingly, all of the tests ran smoothly.
A digital design had been started, with the decision of whether to use a pontoon on the plane's belly or a floating structure akin to a catamaran, Slife mentioned during a speech to the Air and Space Forces Association on September 7.
A layout that offsets aspects like airplane drag, weight, and performance was selected by officials. It relies on an equipment kit that, with some work, could be placed as required in the field.
Preparing the Airlifter
The best option, as shown by Slife, is to outfit the Hercules airlifter with a special kit for waterborne operations instead of implementing advanced sea-based aircraft. The command is worried about how to handle the deployment of amphibious aircraft in a real-world setting.
Even though it has been 30 years since he finished his studies in aerospace engineering, he remembers that building an amphibious aircraft will probably not be a C-130. Nevertheless, the C-130 is the component that is the available option.
Another issue for those trying to transform the airlifter into a bomb truck is the logistical issues of the battlefield. The USAF evaluated the long-range Joint-to-Surface Standoff Missile cruise missile, which can strike a target miles away, from the back of a Commando II airplane last December.
A B-52 Stratofortress bomber can haul a maximum of 12 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles. That is the load that will be trialed on the Hercules cargo plane. The C-17 Globemaster III airlifter is undertaking similar attempts.
Slife added nothing to modify, and no special training is needed, just an adaptable platform. The officer said the US Air Force would develop the MC-130J airlifter or Hercules based on the two programs, per Air Force Technology.
Related Article: How Much Is Known About the B-21 Raider, US Air Force's Most Advanced Stealth Bomber
