Iconic C-130J Super Hercules fleet surpasses 2 Million flight hours globally

One of the world's most iconic air mobility platforms, the C-130J Super Hercules has surpassed 2 million flight hours in operations across the world, Lockheed Martin announced on October 16.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is among the 22 operators of the C-130 special missions aircraft across 18 nations. "These (2 Million) hours were logged beginning with the C-130J's first flight on April 5, 1996, through the end of July 2019," Lockheed Martin declared in a statement on the milestone. The C-130J Super Hercules is the current production model of the legendary C-130 Hercules aircraft, which was first flown in the 1950s.

These (2 Million) hours were logged beginning with the C-130J's first flight on April 5, 1996, through the end of July 2019," Lockheed Martin declared in a statement

The milestone was announced by Lockheed Martin's vice-president of Air Mobility & Maritime Missions at the Hercules Operators Conference at Atlanta. "The C-130J has earned a reputation as the world's workhorse and this most recent achievement is a powerful reminder of the Super Hercules' unmatched global reach," McLean said.

"Crews continue to exemplify the C-130J's proven capability and versatility with every mission they fly. The Lockheed Martin team is proud of the work of the Super Herc crews who rely on the C-130J to support vital missions, both home and abroad," he added.

The C-130J Super Hercules is the current production model of the legendary C-130 Hercules aircraft, which was first flown in the 1950s.

The 2 million hours have been logged on this best seller over a variety of missions including combat, transport, aerial refueling, special operations, medevac, humanitarian relief, search and rescue, weather reconnaissance, fire fighting and commercial freight delivery.

India is among the 18 countries flying the military variant of the Super Hercules. The others are the US - where the operators include the US Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard - UK, Australia, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Canada, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Tunisia, Israel, Kuwait, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, France, and Bahrain.

The U.S. Air Force as the largest operator, with the Super Hercules flown by its Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, Air Education and Training Command, Special Operations Command, and Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units.