Editing Lockheed C-130 Hercules (section)

==Design and development==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2014}}

===Background and requirements===
The [[Korean War]] showed that [[World War II]]-era [[Reciprocating engine|piston-engine]] transports—[[Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar]]s, [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain]]s and [[Curtiss C-46 Commando]]s—were no longer adequate. On 2 February 1951, the [[United States Air Force]] issued a General Operating Requirement (GOR) for a new transport to [[Boeing]], [[Douglas Aircraft|Douglas]], [[Fairchild Aircraft|Fairchild]], [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]], [[Glenn L. Martin Company|Martin]], [[Chase Aircraft]], [[North American Aviation|North American]], [[Northrop Corporation|Northrop]], and Airlifts Inc.

The new transport would have a capacity of 92 passengers, 72 combat troops or 64 [[paratroopers]] in a cargo compartment that was approximately {{cvt|41|ft}} long, {{cvt|9|ft}} high, and {{cvt|10|ft}} wide. Unlike transports derived from passenger airliners, it was to be designed specifically as a combat transport with loading from a hinged loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage. A notable advance for large aircraft was the introduction of a [[turboprop]] powerplant, the [[Allison T56]] which was developed for the C-130. It gave the aircraft greater range than a [[turbojet]] engine as it used less fuel.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Today in History – April 21, 1964 – Military version of the C-130 finally takes flight |url=https://supersabresociety.com/this_time_in_history/today-in-history-april-21-1964-military-version-of-the-c-130-finally-takes-flight/ |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=Super Sabre Society |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite journal |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20050019274 |website= Nasa.gov |title= An Investigation in the Ames 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel of a YT-56A Turboprop Engine Incorporating a Decoupler and a Controlled-Feathering Device |date= 9 September 1954 |last1= Rogallo |first1= Vernon L. |last2= Yaggy |first2= Paul F. |last3= McCloud |first3= John L.}}</ref> Turboprop engines also produced much more power for their weight than piston engines. However, the turboprop configuration chosen for the T56, with the propeller connected to the compressor, had the potential to cause structural failure of the aircraft if an engine failed. Safety devices had to be incorporated to reduce the excessive drag from a windmilling propeller.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto2"/>

===Design phase===
The Hercules resembles a larger, four-engine version of the [[Fairchild C-123 Provider]] with a similar wing and cargo ramp layout. The C-123 had evolved from the [[Chase XCG-20]] Avitruc first flown in 1950.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fairchild C-123K Provider |url=https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196059/fairchild-c-123k-provider/ |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=National Museum of the United States Air Force™ |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>Gunston 1980, p.170.</ref> The [[Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter]] had rear ramps, which made it possible to drive vehicles onto the airplane (also possible with the forward ramp on a [[Douglas C-124 Globemaster II|C-124]]). The ramp on the Hercules was also used to airdrop cargo, which included a [[low-altitude parachute-extraction system]] for [[M551 Sheridan|Sheridan tanks]] and even dropping large improvised "[[BLU-82|daisy cutter]]" bombs. The new Lockheed cargo plane had a range of {{convert|1100|nmi|mi km|sigfig=3|abbr=on}} and it could operate from short and unprepared strips.

Fairchild, North American, Martin, and Northrop declined to participate. The remaining five companies tendered a total of ten designs: Lockheed two, Boeing one, Chase three, Douglas three, and Airlifts Inc. one. The contest was a close affair between the lighter of the two Lockheed (preliminary project designation L-206) proposals and a four-turboprop Douglas design.

The Lockheed design team was led by [[Willis Hawkins]], starting with a 130-page proposal for the ''Lockheed L-206''.<ref name="rhodes">{{cite magazine |surname=Rhodes |given=Jeff |title=Willis Hawkins and the genesis of the Hercules |magazine=Code One Magazine |volume=19 |issue=3 |date=Third Quarter 2004 |url=https://www.codeonemagazine.com/article.html?item_id=143 |pages=[https://issuu.com/aviationlive/docs/2004-3/18 16]–21}}</ref> [[Hall Hibbard]], Lockheed vice president and chief engineer, saw the proposal and directed it to [[Kelly Johnson (engineer)|Kelly Johnson]], who did not care for the low-speed, unarmed aircraft, and remarked, "If you sign that letter, you will destroy the Lockheed Company."<ref name="rhodes"/> Both Hibbard and Johnson signed the proposal and the company won the contract for the now-designated Model 82 on 2 July 1951.<ref name="boyne">Boyne, Walter J. ''Beyond the Horizons: The Lockheed Story.'' New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998. {{ISBN|978-0-312-19237-2}}.</ref>

[[File:Lockheed C-130 Hercules flight deck.jpg|thumb|left|A C-130H Hercules flight deck. Aircraft displayed at the [[Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection]]]]
The first flight of the ''YC-130'' [[prototype]] was made on 23 August 1954 from the [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] plant in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]], California. The aircraft, [[United States military aircraft serials|serial number]] ''53-3397'', was the second prototype, but the first of the two to fly. The YC-130 was piloted by Stanley Beltz and Roy Wimmer on its 61-minute flight to [[Edwards Air Force Base]]; [[Jack Real]] and Dick Stanton served as flight engineers. Kelly Johnson flew chase in a [[Lockheed P2V Neptune]].<ref name="dabney">Dabney, Joseph E. A. "Mating of the Jeep, the Truck, and the Airplane." ''lockheedmartin.com,'' 2004. Excerpted from ''HERK: Hero of the Skies'' in Lockheed Martin Service News, Lockheed Martin Air Mobility Support '' Volume 29, Issue 2, p. 3.</ref>

After the two prototypes were completed, production began in [[Marietta, Georgia]], where over 2,300 C-130s have been built through 2009.<ref>Olausson 2009, p. 129.</ref>

The initial production model, the ''C-130A'', was powered by [[Allison T56]]-A-9 turboprops with three-blade [[Propeller (aircraft)|propellers]] and originally equipped with the blunt nose of the prototypes. Deliveries began in December 1956, continuing until the introduction of the ''C-130B'' model in 1959. Some A-models were equipped with [[ski]]s and re-designated ''C-130D''. As the C-130A became operational with [[Tactical Air Command]] (TAC), the C-130's lack of range became apparent and additional fuel capacity was added with wing pylon-mounted tanks outboard of the engines; this added {{convert|6,000|lb|kg}} of fuel capacity for a total capacity of {{convert|40,000|lb|kg}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/docs/c-130-bar.htm |website= Fas.org |title= C-130 Broad Area Review}}</ref>

===Improved versions===
[[File:C-130E Hercules dropping flares.jpg|thumb|A [[Michigan Air National Guard]] C-130E dispatches its flares during a low-level training mission]]
[[File:One U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft taxis as another takes off from Yeo Ju airstrip during the joint U.S.-South Korean Exercise Team Spirit '84 DF-ST-84-11567.jpg|thumb|Two C-130 Hercules in South Korea, 1984]]
[[File:A C-130 Hercules from the 36th Airlift Squadron conducts a night flight mission over Yokota Air Base (26385249024).jpg|thumb|A C-130 conducts a night flight mission over [[Yokota Air Base]]]]

The C-130B model was developed to complement the A-models that had previously been delivered, and incorporated new features, particularly increased fuel capacity in the form of auxiliary tanks built into the center wing section and an AC electrical system. Four-bladed [[Hamilton Standard]] propellers replaced the Aero Products' three-blade propellers that distinguished the earlier A-models. The C-130B had [[aileron]]s operated by hydraulic pressure that was increased from {{convert|2050|to|3000|psi|MPa|abbr=on|lk=on}}, as well as uprated engines and four-blade propellers that were standard until the J-model.

The B model was originally intended to have "blown controls", a system that blows high-pressure air over the control surfaces to improve their effectiveness during slow flight. It was tested on an NC-130B prototype aircraft with a pair of T-56 turbines providing high-pressure air through a duct system to the control surfaces and flaps during landing. This greatly reduced landing speed to just 63 knots and cut landing distance in half. The system never entered service because it did not improve takeoff performance by the same margin, making the landing performance pointless if the aircraft could not also take off from where it had landed.<ref>Memoirs of an aeronautical engineer: flight testing at Ames Research Center. Seth B. Anderson, United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. History Office, Ames Research Center. p. 29</ref>

An electronic reconnaissance variant of the C-130B was designated C-130B-II. A total of 13 aircraft were converted. The C-130B-II was distinguished by its false external wing fuel tanks, which were disguised signals intelligence (SIGINT) receiver antennas. These pods were slightly larger than the standard wing tanks found on other C-130Bs. Most aircraft featured a swept blade antenna on the upper fuselage, as well as extra wire antennas between the vertical fin and upper fuselage not found on other C-130s. Radio call numbers on the tail of these aircraft were regularly changed to confuse observers and disguise their true mission.

The extended-range ''C-130E'' model entered service in 1962 after it was developed as an interim long-range transport for the Military Air Transport Service. Essentially a B-model, the new designation was the result of the installation of {{convert|1,360|USgal|L|abbr=off|lk=in}} ''Sargent Fletcher'' external fuel tanks under each wing's midsection and more powerful [[Allison Engine Company|Allison]] T56-A-7A turboprops. The hydraulic boost pressure to the [[aileron]]s was reduced back to {{convert|2050|psi|MPa|abbr=on}} as a consequence of the external tanks' weight in the middle of the wingspan. The E model also featured structural improvements, [[avionics]] upgrades, and a higher gross weight. Australia took delivery of 12 C130E Hercules during 1966–67 to supplement the 12 C-130A models already in service with the RAAF. Sweden and Spain fly the TP-84T version of the C-130E fitted for aerial refueling capability.

The ''KC-130'' [[Tanker (aircraft)|tankers]], originally ''C-130F'' procured for the [[United States Marine Corps|US Marine Corps]] (USMC) in 1958 (under the designation ''GV-1'') are equipped with a removable {{convert|3,600|USgal|L}} [[stainless steel]] [[fuel tank]] carried inside the cargo compartment. The two wing-mounted hose and drogue aerial refueling pods each transfer up to {{convert|300|USgal/min|L/min}} to two aircraft simultaneously, allowing for rapid cycle times of multiple-receiver aircraft formations, (a typical tanker formation of four aircraft in less than 30 minutes). The [[United States Navy|US Navy]]'s ''C-130G'' has increased structural strength allowing higher gross weight operation.

===Further developments===
[[File:raf.hercules.c-130k.c3.arp.jpg|thumb|A [[Royal Air Force]] C-130K (C.3)]]

The ''C-130H'' model has updated Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, a redesigned outer [[wing]], updated avionics, and other minor improvements. Later ''H'' models had a new, fatigue-life-improved, center wing that was retrofitted to many earlier H-models. For structural reasons, some models are required to land with reduced amounts of fuel when carrying heavy cargo, reducing usable range.<ref>Cassidy, J. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20160223035513/http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA391744 C-130 Transportability of Army Vehicles]" p. 3. ''[[Defense Technical Information Center]]'', 2001</ref>

The H model remains in widespread use with the [[United States Air Force]] (USAF) and many foreign air forces. Initial deliveries began in 1964 (to the [[Royal New Zealand Air Force|RNZAF]]), remaining in production until 1996. An improved C-130H was introduced in 1974, with Australia purchasing 12 of the type in 1978 to replace the original 12 C-130A models, which had first entered [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF) service in 1958. The U.S. Coast Guard employs the HC-130H for long-range search and rescue, drug interdiction, illegal migrant patrols, homeland security, and logistics.

C-130H models produced from 1992 to 1996 were designated as C-130H3 by the USAF, with the "3" denoting the third variation in design for the H series. Improvements included [[ring laser gyro]]s for the [[Inertial guidance system|INU]]s, GPS receivers, a partial [[glass cockpit]] (ADI and HSI instruments), a more capable APN-241 color radar, [[night vision device]] compatible instrument lighting, and an integrated radar and missile warning system. The electrical system upgrade included Generator Control Units (GCU) and Bus Switching units (BSU) to provide stable power to the more sensitive upgraded components.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Petrescu |first1=Relly Victoria |last2=Petrescu |first2=Florian Ion |title=Lockheed Martin |date=2013 |publisher=Books on Demand GmBH, Norderstedt |location=Germany |isbn=978-3-8482-6053-9 |page=11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=49QmlNcqlUAC&pg=PA11}}</ref>

The equivalent model for export to the UK is the ''C-130K'', known by the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) as the ''Hercules C.1''. The ''C-130H-30'' (''Hercules C.3'' in RAF service) is a stretched version of the original Hercules, achieved by inserting a {{convert|100|in|m|abbr=on}} plug aft of the cockpit and an {{convert|80|in|m|abbr=on}} plug at the rear of the fuselage. A single C-130K was purchased by the [[Met Office]] for use by its Meteorological Research Flight, where it was classified as the ''Hercules W.2''. This aircraft was heavily modified, with its most prominent feature being the long red and white striped atmospheric probe on the nose and the move of the weather radar into a pod above the forward fuselage. This aircraft, named ''[[Snoopy]]'', was withdrawn in 2001 and was then modified by [[Marshall Aerospace|Marshall of Cambridge Aerospace]] as a flight testbed for the [[A400M]] turbine engine, the [[TP400]]. The C-130K is used by the [[RAF Falcons]] for parachute drops. Three C-130Ks (Hercules C Mk.1P) were upgraded and sold to the Austrian Air Force in 2002.<ref>[http://www.doppeladler.com/oebh/luftfahrzeuge/c130.htm "C-130K in the Austrian Air Force"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605224813/http://www.doppeladler.com/oebh/luftfahrzeuge/c130.htm |date=5 June 2008}} ''doppeladler.com''. Retrieved 2 October 2010.</ref>

===Enhanced models===
[[File:HC-130P-N refuels HH-60G.jpg|thumb|A USAF HC-130P refuels a [[HH-60G Pavehawk]] helicopter]]

The ''[[Lockheed MC-130|MC-130E Combat Talon]]'' was developed for the USAF during the [[Vietnam War]] to support [[special operations]] missions in Southeast Asia, and led to both the ''[[Lockheed MC-130|MC-130H Combat Talon II]]'' as well as a family of other special missions aircraft. 37 of the earliest models currently operating with the [[Air Force Special Operations Command]] (AFSOC) are scheduled to be replaced by new-production MC-130J versions. The [[EC-130 Commando Solo]] is another special missions variant within AFSOC, albeit operated solely by an AFSOC-gained wing in the [[Pennsylvania Air National Guard]], and is a psychological operations/information operations (PSYOP/IO) platform equipped as an aerial radio station and television stations able to transmit messaging over commercial frequencies. Other versions of the [[Lockheed EC-130|EC-130]], most notably the [[EC-130H Compass Call]], are also special variants, but are assigned to the [[Air Combat Command]] (ACC). The [[Lockheed AC-130|AC-130 gunship]] was first developed during the [[Vietnam War]] to provide [[close air support]] and other [[ground-attack aircraft|ground-attack]] duties.

The ''[[Lockheed HC-130|HC-130]]'' is a family of long-range search and rescue variants used by the USAF and the U.S. Coast Guard. Equipped for the deep deployment of [[Air Force Pararescue|Pararescuemen]] (PJs), survival equipment, and (in the case of USAF versions) aerial refueling of combat rescue helicopters, HC-130s are usually the on-scene command aircraft for combat SAR missions (USAF only) and non-combat SAR (USAF and USCG). Early USAF versions were also equipped with the [[Fulton surface-to-air recovery system]], designed to pull a person off the ground using a wire strung from a helium balloon. The John Wayne movie ''[[The Green Berets (film)|The Green Berets]]'' features its use. The Fulton system was later removed when aerial refueling of helicopters proved safer and more versatile. The movie ''[[The Perfect Storm (film)|The Perfect Storm]]'' depicts a real-life SAR mission involving aerial refueling of a [[New York Air National Guard]] [[HH-60 Pave Hawk|HH-60G]] by a New York Air National Guard HC-130P.

The ''C-130R'' and ''C-130T'' are U.S. Navy and USMC models, both equipped with underwing external fuel tanks. The USN C-130T is similar but has additional avionics improvements. In both models, aircraft are equipped with Allison T56-A-16 engines. The USMC versions are designated ''KC-130R'' or ''KC-130T'' when equipped with underwing refueling pods and pylons and are fully [[Night vision device|night vision]] system compatible.

The [[Lockheed RC-130 Hercules|RC-130]] is a [[Surveillance aircraft|reconnaissance]] version developed during the Cold War. Sometimes called "ferret" aircraft, these planes were initially retrofitted standard C-130s.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://media.defense.gov/2021/Jul/13/2002761784/-1/-1/0/DEDICATION-SACRIFICE.PDF|title= Dedication and Sacrifice: National Aerial Reconnaissance During the Cold War|publisher=Center for Cryptologic History, National Security Agency|page=2|access-date=21 June 2024}}</ref>

The ''[[Lockheed L-100 Hercules|Lockheed L-100 (L-382)]]'' is a civilian variant, equivalent to a C-130E model without military equipment. The L-100 also has two stretched versions.

===Next generation===
{{main|Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules}}

In the 1970s, Lockheed proposed a C-130 variant with [[turbofan]] engines rather than turboprops, but the U.S. Air Force preferred the takeoff performance of the existing aircraft. In the 1980s, the C-130 was intended to be replaced by the [[Advanced Medium STOL Transport]] project. The project was canceled and the C-130 has remained in production.

Building on lessons learned, Lockheed Martin modified a commercial variant of the C-130 into a High Technology Test Bed (HTTB). This test aircraft set numerous short takeoff and landing performance records and significantly expanded the database for future derivatives of the C-130.<ref>[http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/C130.html NASA and Lockheed Martin Partners In C-130 Technology] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614010311/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/C130.html |date=14 June 2013}} Retrieved 21 May 2013.</ref> Modifications made to the HTTB included extended chord ailerons, a long chord rudder, fast-acting double-slotted trailing edge flaps, a high-camber wing leading edge extension, a larger dorsal fin and dorsal fins, the addition of three spoiler panels to each wing upper surface, a long-stroke main and nose landing gear system, and changes to the flight controls and a change from direct mechanical linkages assisted by hydraulic boost, to fully powered controls, in which the mechanical linkages from the flight station controls operated only the hydraulic control valves of the appropriate boost unit.<ref>[http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/aero/documents/global-sustainment/product-support/Service-News/V12N3.pdf The High Technology Test Bed] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123150753/http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/aero/documents/global-sustainment/product-support/Service-News/V12N3.pdf |date=23 January 2013}} Lockheed Service News Vol. 12 No. 3, September 1985. Retrieved 21 May 2013.</ref>

The HTTB first flew on 19 June 1984, with civil registration of N130X. After demonstrating many new technologies, some of which were applied to the C-130J, the HTTB was lost in a fatal accident on 3 February 1993, at [[Dobbins Air Reserve Base]], in Marietta, Georgia.<ref>{{cite book |last=Norton |first=Bill |title=STOL Progenitors: The Technology Path to a Large STOL Aircraft and the C-17A |year=2002 |publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics |location=Reston, Virginia |isbn=1-56347-538-3}}</ref> The crash was attributed to disengagement of the rudder fly-by-wire flight control system, resulting in a total loss of rudder control capability while conducting ground minimum control speed tests (Vmcg). The disengagement was a result of the inadequate design of the rudder's integrated actuator package by its manufacturer; the operator's insufficient system safety review failed to consider the consequences of the inadequate design to all operating regimes. A factor that contributed to the accident was the flight crew's lack of engineering flight test training.<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19930203-1 ASN Aircraft Accident] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527093323/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19930203-1 |date=27 May 2013}} Retrieved 21 May 2013.</ref>

In the 1990s, the improved [[C-130J Super Hercules]] was developed by Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin). This model is the newest version and the only model in production. Externally similar to the classic Hercules in general appearance, the J model has new turboprop engines, six-bladed propellers, digital avionics, and other new systems.<ref name="DODAppropriations1995">{{cite report |author=United States House Committee on Appropriations |author-link=United States House Committee on Appropriations |title=Department of Defense appropriations for 1995, part 3 |section=C-130 aircraft |section-url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.31210014044646?urlappend=%3Bseq=495 |pages=489–491 |hdl=2027/uc1.31210014044646 |isbn=0-16-045949-4 |year=1994 |oclc=1097431953}}</ref>

===Upgrades and changes===
[[File:Lockheed L-382 C-130H-LM Hercules (USAF sn 92-1532, cn 382-5328) (8-26-2023).jpg|thumb|C-130H with eight-bladed NP2000 propellers]]
In 2000, Boeing was awarded a {{US$|1.4 billion}} contract to develop an Avionics Modernization Program kit for the C-130. The program was beset with delays and cost overruns until project restructuring in 2007.<ref name="fg_c130amp">Trimble, Stephen. [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/06/24/343673/boeing-outlines-c-130h-and-kc-10-cockpit-upgrades.html "Boeing outlines C-130H and KC-10 cockpit upgrades"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628162446/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/06/24/343673/boeing-outlines-c-130h-and-kc-10-cockpit-upgrades.html |date=28 June 2010}} ''[[Flightglobal]].'' Retrieved: 2 October 2010.</ref> In September 2009, it was reported that the planned Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) upgrade to the older C-130s would be dropped to provide more funds for the F-35, CV-22 and airborne tanker replacement programs.<ref>Capaccio, Tony. [https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aEiJr36oaC7w "Air Force Would Cancel Boeing C-130 Upgrade, 15 Other Programs"]. ''Bloomberg'', 2 September 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2010.</ref> However, in June 2010, [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] approved funding for the initial production of the AMP upgrade kits.<ref>Wall, Robert. [http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/asd/2010/06/25/01.xml&headline=Pentagon%20Approves%20C-130%20AMP%20Production&channel=defense "Pentagon Approves C-130 AMP Production"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921171443/http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news%2Fasd%2F2010%2F06%2F25%2F01.xml&headline=Pentagon%20Approves%20C-130%20AMP%20Production&channel=defense |date=21 September 2011}} ''Aviation Week'', 25 June 2010.</ref><ref>[http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1275 "Boeing C-130 Avionics Modernization Program to Enter Production"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007213747/http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1275 |date=7 October 2011}} Boeing, 24 June 2010.</ref> Under the terms of this agreement, the USAF has cleared Boeing to begin [[Low rate initial production|low-rate initial production]] (LRIP) for the C-130 AMP. A total of 198 aircraft are expected to feature the AMP upgrade. The current cost per aircraft is {{US$|14 million}}, although Boeing expects that this price will drop to US$7&nbsp;million for the 69th aircraft.<ref name="fg_c130amp"/>

In the 2000s, Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force began outfitting and retrofitting C-130s with the eight-blade [[UTC Aerospace Systems]] NP2000 propellers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/115079/engineers-testing-eight-blade-prop-for-c-130/|title=AF.MIL|work=U.S. Air Force |date=4 November 2010 |access-date=11 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818115316/http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/115079/engineers-testing-eight-blade-prop-for-c-130.aspx|archive-date=18 August 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> An engine enhancement program saving fuel and providing lower temperatures in the T56 engine has been approved, and the US Air Force expects to save $2&nbsp;billion (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=2000000000|start_year=2013}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) and extend the fleet life.<ref>"[http://www.aero-news.net/subscribe.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=95b16316-e19c-47eb-8ba7-0048908e816f NOAA 'Hurricane Hunters' First To Get T56 Series 3.5 Engine Enhancement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203131427/http://www.aero-news.net/subscribe.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=95b16316-e19c-47eb-8ba7-0048908e816f |date=3 December 2013}}" ''Aero News'', 14 November 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.</ref>

In 2021, the Air Force Research Laboratory demonstrated the [[Rapid Dragon]] system which transforms the C-130 into a lethal strike platform capable of launching 12 [[AGM-158 JASSM|JASSM-ER]] with 500&nbsp;kg warheads from a standoff distance of {{cvt|925|km|mi}}. Future anticipated improvements support includes support for [[Joint Direct Attack Munition#JDAM Extended Range|JDAM-ER]], mine laying, drone dispersal as well as improved standoff range when {{cvt|1900|km|mi}} JASSM-XR become available in 2024.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=December 16, 2021 |title=Rapid Dragon's first live fire test of a Palletized Weapon System deployed from a cargo aircraft destroys target |magazine=Air Force Material Command |ref={{SfnRef|Air Force Material Command release|2021}} |publisher=Air Force Research Laboratory Public Affairs |url= https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2879257/rapid-dragons-first-live-fire-test-of-a-palletized-weapon-system-deployed-from/|access-date=2022-07-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Host |first1=Pat |date=October 1, 2021 |title=US AFRL plans Rapid Dragon palletized munitions experiments with additional weapons |work=Janes|url=https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/us-afrl-plans-rapid-dragon-palletised-munitions-experiments-with-additional-weapons |access-date=2022-07-23}}</ref>

===Replacement===
In October 2010, the U.S. Air Force released a capability request for information (CRFI) for the development of a new airlifter to replace the C-130. The new aircraft was to carry a 190% greater payload and assume the mission of mounted vertical maneuver (MVM). The greater payload and mission would enable it to carry medium-weight armored vehicles and unload them at locations without long runways. Various options were under consideration, including new or upgraded fixed-wing designs, rotorcraft, [[tiltrotor]]s, or even an [[airship]]. The C-130 fleet of around 450 planes would be replaced by only 250 aircraft.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150717161455/http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2010/10/usaf-asks-industry-to-answer-c/ USAF asks industry to answer C-130 replacement questions] – ''FlightGlobal'', 22 October 2010</ref> The Air Force had attempted to replace the C-130 in the 1970s through the [[Advanced Medium STOL Transport]] project, which resulted in the [[C-17 Globemaster III]] that instead replaced the [[C-141 Starlifter]].<ref name="speedagile">[https://web.archive.org/web/20150413115830/http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2011/09/images-lockheeds-stealth-c-130/ Lockheed's stealth C-130 successor revealed] – ''FlightGlobal'', 13 September 2011</ref>

The [[Air Force Research Laboratory]] funded Lockheed Martin and Boeing demonstrators for the ''Speed Agile'' concept, which had the goal of making a STOL aircraft that could take off and land at speeds as low as {{convert|70|kn|abbr=on}} on airfields less than {{convert|2,000|ft|m|abbr=on}} long and cruise at Mach 0.8-plus. Boeing's design used upper-surface blowing from embedded engines on the inboard wing and blown flaps for circulation control on the outboard wing. Lockheed's design also used blown flaps outboard, but inboard used patented reversing ejector nozzles.<ref name="auto1">[http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:4ed2785f-832c-4f7f-8a7b-1d820cb2b07a Fast STOL – Lockheed's Speed Agile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203023534/http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:4ed2785f-832c-4f7f-8a7b-1d820cb2b07a |date=3 February 2014}} – Aviationweek.com, 15 October 2010</ref>

Boeing's design completed over 2,000 hours of wind tunnel tests in late 2009. It was a 5 percent-scale model of a narrow body design with a {{convert|55000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} payload. When the AFRL increased the payload requirement to {{convert|65000|lb|kg|abbr=on}}, they tested a 5 percent-scale model of a widebody design with a {{convert|303000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} take-off gross weight and an "[[A400M]]-size" {{convert|158|in|m|abbr=on}} wide cargo box. It would be powered by four [[IAE V2500|IAE V2533]] turbofans.<ref name="auto1"/>

In August 2011, the AFRL released pictures of the Lockheed Speed Agile concept demonstrator. A 23% scale model went through wind tunnel tests to demonstrate its hybrid powered lift, which combined a low drag airframe with simple mechanical assembly to reduce weight and improve aerodynamics. The model had four engines, including two [[Williams FJ44]] turbofans.<ref name="speedagile"/><ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20131127162334/http://defensetech.org/2011/09/15/lockheeds-new-stol-airlifter-design/ Lockheed's New STOL Airlifter Design]}} – Defensetech.org, 15 September 2011</ref> On 26 March 2013, Boeing was granted a patent for its swept-wing powered lift aircraft.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20141014212713/http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2013/04/boeing-awarded-patent-speed-ag/ Boeing awarded patent for Speed Agile stealth transport concept] – ''FlightGlobal'', 2 April 2013</ref>

In January 2014, [[Air Mobility Command]], [[Air Force Materiel Command]] and the Air Force Research Lab were in the early stages of defining requirements for the C-X next generation airlifter program<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://othjournal.com/2017/03/06/next-gen-cx/|title=C-X: Next-Gen Cargo Plane for the Joint Force|last=Horizon|first=Over The|date=6 March 2017|website=OTH|language=en-US|access-date=21 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221224230/https://othjournal.com/2017/03/06/next-gen-cx/|archive-date=21 February 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> to replace both the C-130 and C-17. The aircraft would be produced from the early 2030s to the 2040s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daily Report |url=https://www.airforcemag.com/daily-report/ |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=Air Force Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>