{"id":39188,"date":"2018-03-29T22:12:29","date_gmt":"2018-03-29T22:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/03\/29\/inside-the-air-force-special-operation-commands-mc-130\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:06:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:06:44","slug":"inside-the-air-force-special-operation-commands-mc-130","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/smr\/kadena-air-base\/2018\/03\/29\/inside-the-air-force-special-operation-commands-mc-130\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Air Force Special Operation Command\u2019s MC-130"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At Okinawa\u2019s Kadena Air Base, the air commandos of the 353rd Special Operations Group fly the MC-130 all over the region. Get a rare look at the group’s aircraft and operations. (Jeff Martin\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan \u2014 Time is moving fast for the two loadmasters in the cargo hold of the MC-130H.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019ve got 10 minutes before a group of about 40 special operators<\/a> parachute from the aircraft, and there\u2019s a lot to coordinate before then with the jumpmaster and the plane\u2019s navigator \u2014 from wind speed and heading to drop location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After what seems like mere moments, the green light comes on, and the paratroopers are given the OK to jump from the cargo bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the MC-130H and MC-130J crews at Kadena Air Base in Japan<\/a>, that\u2019s just another training mission \u2014 one that Tech Sgt. Adrian Garcia, an MC-130H loadmaster with the 353rd Special Operations Group<\/a>, helped complete days before speaking to Defense News in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here for more from Kadena Air Base!<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a normal workday, \u201cwe can be doing anything, going from working with our joint partners in the Pacific to just moving cargo from here into another country,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there may come a time when they are called in to actually insert special operators into a war zone, refuel a CV-22 or extract troops from combat, and so they\u2019ve got to keep all their skills sharp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The cockpit view of one of the four MC-130Hs operated by the 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The MC-130Hs are in the process of being replaced by the MC-130J Commando II. (Jeff Martin\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The 353rd SOG at Kadena operates six MC-130J Commando IIs and four MC-130H Combat Talon IIs. Both are multirole versions of the C-130 Hercules outfitted with gear that enables special operators to conduct a variety of clandestine missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bringing supplies or troops in or out of a war zone may sound like a simple task, but there are a lot of moving parts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a flight, every MC-130H is staffed with a seven-person crew to ensure that work gets done: a pilot, copilot, flight engineer, navigator, electronic warfare officer and two loadmasters. The newer MC-130J requires less manpower, operating with a crew of five in which the roles of flight engineer, navigator and electronic warfare officer are condensed into one weapons systems officer position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main external difference between the MC-130J, which the Air Force is currently procuring, and the older MC-130H is the engines. The Commando II flies with four Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprop engines that provide a quarter more power than the Allison T56-A-15s on the Combat Talon, giving it more range and payload capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But inside, there are significant differences. The MC-130H is equipped with analog mission systems that necessitate a separate navigator, EW officer and flight mechanic.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ever wanted to go inside the cockpit of an Air Force MC-130 special operations aircraft? Here’s your chance. (Jeff Martin\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m looking at where we need to go, what time we need to get there, how much fuel we\u2019re going to need to get there, what sort of equipment we\u2019re going to be potentially airdropping,\u201d said Capt. Megan Moulton, an MC-130H Combat Talon navigator from the 353rd. \u201cAre we going to be landing in a field and dropping it off? The flow of the mission, that\u2019s what I\u2019m responsible for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a mission, a navigator will keep an eye on GPS, the infrared sensor, the radar and old-fashioned charts and maps, correlating them and changing the route as needed to ensure the aircraft can get where it needs to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPretty much every time we fly, maybe we have weather or something like that, we\u2019ll have to change our navigation to a different location,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s really what I\u2019m there for, is for that dynamic piece.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both MC-130 variants are equipped with an extensive electronic warfare suite that allows the aircraft to move without being detected, but the operators declined to say much about specific EW capabilities. When otherwise not engaged, EW officers can help assist the other crew. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m starting to get bogged down with mission management, then I can pass that to the electronic warfare officer, because they\u2019re also very capable as navigators,\u201d Moulton said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The cockpit view of one of the six MC-130Js operated by the 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. (Jeff Martin\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the Commando II, one person is capable of managing all the mission systems, said 1st Lt. Shamel Butler, an MC-130J combat systems officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe majority of my job comes from navigation. We do a lot of low-level flying at night,\u201d he said, so the most important piece is paying attention to the radar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The combat systems officer also helps conduct the aerial refueling of helicopters and rotorcraft, Butler said, adding that his last sortie involved refueling helicopters flown by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the loadmasters are responsible for managing the weight and balance of the aircraft, which is critical for the aircraft as it often flies in adverse conditions, said Garcia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat can be cargo, passengers, making sure everything is in balance so the aircraft can fight as it\u2019s supposed to,\u201d he said. \u201cIn flight, we take care of any type of airdrop or any type of air-to-air refueling with helicopters or tiltrotors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force is replacing its MC-130Hs with MC-130Js and requested $800 million in its fiscal 2019 budget for six more J models. Procurement of the Commando II is expected to extend to FY23, with a total program of record that includes 73 aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/atype-video-jwplayer>
From Kadena Air Base in Japan, Defense News brings you two MC-130s used by the U.S. Air Force’s 353rd Special Operations Group. (Jeff Martin\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

It\u2019s possible that the service could get those aircraft on an accelerated schedule. In FY18, the Air Force included additional MC-130Js on the unfunded wish list sent to Congress each year. Lawmakers responded by funding five extra planes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the operators and maintainers of the 353rd said they are making do with the older H models, which are still performing well despite some obsolescence issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmaller components are a little harder to come by because they don\u2019t make them anymore. So a lot of parts, if they do break, they\u2019ll have to be sent in for maintenance. We\u2019ll have to just wait for them to come back,\u201d said Airman 1st Class Joseph Miller, a MC-130 maintenance chief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut all in all, these things are ready to go at any moment necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Air Force’s multimission, special operations versions of the C-130 are constantly on the go at Kadena Air Base, Japan. 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