{"id":24345,"date":"2022-12-27T21:52:59","date_gmt":"2022-12-27T21:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2022\/12\/27\/congress-tells-air-force-to-upgrade-skiplanes-as-arctic-heats-up\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:16:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:16:07","slug":"congress-tells-air-force-to-upgrade-skiplanes-as-arctic-heats-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2022\/12\/27\/congress-tells-air-force-to-upgrade-skiplanes-as-arctic-heats-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress tells Air Force to upgrade skiplanes as Arctic heats up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Congress is urging the Air Force to start sketching out what it needs in a future fleet of skiplanes to help protect the Arctic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawmakers want to get a head start on designing a new set of C-130 airframes that could replace the service\u2019s LC-130H Hercules, also known as the \u201cSkibirds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proactively swapping out the polar airlift fleet could help the U.S. keep pace with Russian and Chinese expansion in the Arctic, according to a provision tucked into the fiscal 2023 omnibus spending bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/12\/22\/air-force-space-force-priorities-largely-supported-in-funding-bill\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/221207-F-NX702-9004.jfif_.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Air Force, Space Force priorities largely supported in funding bill<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Air Force is set to receive more than $216 billion in the fiscal 2023 federal spending bill released Monday.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGiven the ever-increasing importance of the polar regions in our National Defense Strategy, and our adversaries\u2019 excursion into those regions, the Congress believes that this vital capability must be maintained, modernized and eventually replaced in an appropriate and timely fashion,\u201d the legislation said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The $1.7 trillion appropriations package cleared Congress on Dec. 23. President Joe Biden is expected to sign it into law ahead of the Friday deadline to fund the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The New York Air National Guard\u2019s 109th Airlift Wing owns 10 LC-130H planes that differ from the rest of the cargo fleet in one significant way: giant, Teflon-coated skis allow the aircraft to land on ice and snow. The skiplanes regularly travel to Greenland and Antarctica in support of homeland defense missions and scientific expeditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">C-130Hs first entered service in the 1960s; the Air Force is now outfitting the skiplanes with modern avionics and engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. military\u2019s northernmost outpost at Thule Air Base, Greenland, relies on the fleet to ferry troops and supplies above the Arctic Circle. Thule hosts missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations now run by the Space Force.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/10\/07\/white-house-arctic-strategy-calls-for-enhanced-military-presence\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21138030305297.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">White House Arctic strategy calls for enhanced military presence<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The enhanced U.S. posture aims to deter increased Russian and Chinese activity in the region as global warming rapidly melts the Polar ice caps.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that Russia and China are establishing operations across the Arctic, as well as how global warming could transform polar sea lanes for commercial and military use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In October, the White House released a 10-year strategy for handling global competition in the Arctic that pushes for a greater U.S. military presence, modernizing air defenses and icebreakers, and improving maps of the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe United States will enhance and exercise both our military and civilian capabilities in the Arctic as required to deter threats and to anticipate, prevent, and respond to both natural and human-made incidents,\u201d the strategy said. \u201cWe will deepen cooperation with Arctic allies and partners in support of these objectives and to manage risks of further militarization or unintended conflict, including those resulting from geopolitical tensions with Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/12\/23\/ohio-reserve-base-tapped-as-likely-new-home-of-c-130j-cargo-planes\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1000w_q75-4-4.jpg-4.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Ohio Reserve base tapped as likely new home of C-130J cargo planes<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Air Force will make a final decision once an environmental study wraps up next summer.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By July, lawmakers want a tentative plan for replacing the current skiplanes with a new set of modified C-130J planes. The final bill adds $1 million for the Air Force to study options for a newer, more reliable polar cargo fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">C-130Js can fly faster than 400 mph and up to 28,000 feet \u2014 slightly faster and higher than older models \u2014 and carry 42,000 pounds of cargo, around 3,000 pounds less than the \u201cSkibirds.\u201d Lockheed Martin builds the family of four-engine, turboprop C-130s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While lawmakers said the skiplanes were designed to last another 15 years, decades of flight in extreme weather conditions are already taking a toll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Airmen ventured out in subzero temperatures to fix an LC-130 that was stranded at the South Pole last month, the 109th Air Wing said Dec. 21. There are no hangars or shelters at the South Pole, meaning the team was exposed to the elements for two days while they worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/11\/02\/new-york-air-national-guards-lc-130-skibirds-deploy-for-antarctica-mission\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/C-130-skibird.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">New York Air National Guard\u2019s LC-130 &#8216;Skibirds\u2019 deploy for Antarctica mission<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Five LC-130 \u201cSkibird\u201d aircraft. assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base, are heading to McMurdo Station to support scientists&#039; research work through February.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Temperatures dropped from -40 degrees to -77 degrees Fahrenheit while three airmen tried to fix low engine oil and a broken tail cable. The cable lets the tail open and lower a platform to the ground so crews can load cargo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was a struggle to maintain warmth and we began to have symptoms of frostnip from the extreme cold and cyanosis [lack of oxygen in the blood] from the 9,600-foot elevation we were working at,\u201d said Tech Sgt. Dennis Craig, a hydraulics craftsman from Kentucky\u2019s 123rd Airlift Wing who flew in to repair the aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis aircraft rescue was a reminder of the daunting tasks that are down here, working in austere environments,\u201d added Chief Master Sgt. Ron Jemmott, the superintendent of aircraft maintenance at McMurdo Station, the National Science Foundation\u2019s largest Antarctic outpost. \u201cIt takes a toll on your body, but they keep a positive attitude and get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lawmakers called on the Air Force to study how swapping out the polar airlift fleet could help the U.S. keep protect the Arctic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":7,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[7,29],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3356],"class_list":["post-24345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-battlefield-tech","category-home"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"YQPZXAITGFDJFKHK35TJ5X2IBA","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/12\/27\/congress-tells-air-force-to-upgrade-skiplanes-as-arctic-heats-up\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Congress tells Air Force to upgrade skiplanes as Arctic heats up - C4ISRNet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Lawmakers called on the Air Force to study how swapping out the polar airlift fleet could help the U.S. keep protect the Arctic.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Congress tells Air Force to upgrade skiplanes as Arctic heats up\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Lawmakers called on the Air Force to study how swapping out the polar airlift fleet could help the U.S. keep protect the Arctic.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2022\/12\/27\/congress-tells-air-force-to-upgrade-skiplanes-as-arctic-heats-up\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"C4ISRNet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-12-27T21:52:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T21:16:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rachel S. 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