LONDON \u2014 A Royal Air Force C-130J Hercules is set to take to the air in the next few days to recommence trials of a major upgrade to the aircraft that is so late it has already been rolled into a subsequent improvement program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fitted out with an extensive suite of software and hardware improvements known as Block 7, the British C-130J kit installation trials aircraft is set to undertake months of operational test and evaluation (OT&E) work ahead of being further modified by prime contractor Lockheed Martin with additional capabilities known as Block 8.1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said it is planned to complete the <\/span>British flight trials on the Block 8.1 improvements are set to be completed in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The updates are crucial to the British and other C-130J fleet operators around the world as they provide additional operational <\/span>capabilities for special operations forces and others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Communications, air traffic management, navigation and surveillance capabilities are among the enhancements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The modifications will also allow operators to meet the latest civil air traffic management regulations. Without the update, C-130J aircraft will not be able to effectively operate in prescribed airspaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Delays to the Block 7 program resulted in members of nations in <\/span>the C-130J joint users group opting to merge the Block 7 updates into the later Block 8.1 update <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lockheed Martin said the “Block 8.1 development is on schedule.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n All seven members of the users group \u2014 including <\/span>Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Norway, the UK and the US \u2014 are contributing to the development, evaluation and trial kit installation phases of the program, the contractor said in a statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hercules about to restart flight tests for the British was first fitted out as a trial kit installation aircraft for Block 7 in 2012. But following a flight to Lockheed Martin facilities in the US, the machine was became <\/span>marooned for around two years for technical reasons and eventually returned to Britain without undertaking the tests that which <\/span>would have triggered the production phase of the Block 7 update for the Royal Air Force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A British MoD spokesman said the aircraft was eventually <\/span>returned to Britain after “the UK Block 7 trial kit installation aircraft underwent a graduated release to test flight process and subsequently returned to the UK under a Qinetiq airworthiness release.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the return of the aircraft last year, the MoD said work has progressed on Block 7 with the “first flight scheduled in early May.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n