Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      U.S. Air Force Col. Joseph H. Wenckus, 86th Airlift Wing vice commander, taxies a C-130J Super Hercules to its place on the flightline on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Dec. 4, 2017. The new aircraft was flown from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Marietta, Georgia, and delivered to the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Devin Boyer)AF’s newest Herc joins Ramstein fleet
                        
                        
                        Col. Joseph H. Wenckus, 86th Airlift Wing vice commander, taxies a C-130J Super Hercules to its place on the flight line on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Dec. 4, 2017. The new aircraft was flown from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Marietta, Ga., and delivered to the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein AB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Devin Boyer)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Melinda Marlow (left), and Maj. Kyle Bucher (right), 37th Airlift Squadron C-130J Super Hercules pilots, fly a C-130J over Shannon, Ireland, during the sunrise Dec. 4, 2017. A crew assigned to the 37th Airlift Squadron crossed the Atlantic Ocean to retrieve a brand new C-130J Super Hercules from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company production facility, in Marietta, Georgia, Nov. 29. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Savannah L. Waters)AF’s newest Herc joins Ramstein fleet
                        
                        
                        First Lt. Melinda Marlow (left), and Maj. Kyle Bucher (right), 37th Airlift Squadron C-130J Super Hercules pilots, fly a C-130J over Shannon, Ireland, during the sunrise Dec. 4, 2017. A crew assigned to the 37th AS crossed the Atlantic Ocean to retrieve a brand new C-130J Super Hercules from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company production facility, in Marietta, Ga. to join the fleet at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Savannah L. Waters)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        The new C-130J Hercules takes off from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company production facility in Marietta, Georgia, Nov. 29, 2017. The aircraft has the longest continuous production of any military airframe and features upgraded avionics, improved lift capacity, superior climb performance, and long-range landing field capabilities.
 (Courtesy photo, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company)AF’s newest Herc joins Ramstein fleet
                        
                        
                        The new C-130J Hercules takes off from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company production facility in Marietta, Ga., Nov. 29, 2017. The aircraft has the longest continuous production of any military airframe and features upgraded avionics, improved lift capacity, superior climb performance and long-range landing field capabilities. (Courtesy photo from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

AF’s newest Herc joins Ramstein AB fleetPublished Dec. 11, 2017
                    
                    By Airman 1st Class Savannah L. Waters
                    
                    
                    86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
            **RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) --**A new model C-130J Super Hercules arrived at Ramstein Air Base Dec. 4, 2017, as part of a rotational process to upgrade existing aircraft.
A crew assigned to the 37th Airlift Squadron crossed the Atlantic Ocean to retrieve the aircraft from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company production facility, in Marietta, Georgia.
The C-130J, an upgraded version of the C-130 Hercules legacy model, adds 15 feet to the fuselage and increases usable space in the cargo compartment. The new aircraft replaces one of 14 C-130J’s at Ramstein AB, helping avoid potential problems with the Air Force’s aging fleet.
“I can’t overstate the importance and significance of rebalancing our fleet,” said Col. Joseph Wenckus, 86th Airlift Wing vice commander, “Replacing older aircraft rotationally allows us to balance out the number of older and newer planes in any given location, which strengthens the force.” 
The concept, according to Air Mobility Command, is called “Enterprise Fleet Management,” and allows extended aircraft life by rotating aircraft amongst units across the Air Force. 
Some aircraft are more vulnerable due to the operational environment or requirements driven by mission demands, shortening the lifespan of any given aircraft, said Wenckus. 
“With missions, required maintenance and wear and tear more spaced-out across all Air Force units, we are able to better maintain Ramstein [AB’s] tactical airlift fleet and continue to serve two combatant commands,” said Wenckus. 
According to Lockheed Martin, the aircraft is built on the legacy of the basic C-130 design, however, the C-130J features a large, unobstructed, fully-pressurized cargo hold that can be rapidly reconfigured for carrying troops, stretchers, passengers, or airdrop of troops and equipment into battle zones.
The aircraft also features upgraded avionics, improved lift capacity, superior climb performance and long-range landing field capabilities.
“The avionics are astronomically better in this aircraft than the older legacy model,” said Maj. Kyle Bucher, 37th AS C-130J pilot. “It has improved performance, it’s faster, burns less fuel, carries more and requires fewer crew members.”
The versatile aircraft is used across the Air Force for medical evacuation, humanitarian, airdrop, cargo delivery, firefighting, aerial refueling, aerial spray and arctic support missions.
With continuous production longer than any other military aircraft, the C-130J has earned a reputation as a workhorse ready for any mission, anytime, anywhere.
The 37th AS provides air support to European Command and Africa Command, ensuring tactical airlift assets and mission readiness for the theatre, said 1st Lt. Melinda Marlow, 37th AS C-130J pilot.
“The thing I love the most about the Herc is the mission support role that we play,” Marlow said. “It’s the sound of home. Whether it’s picking personnel up from deployment, bringing beans and bullets, or dropping Christmas care packages to deployed locations, I believe the C-130J is the best aircraft in the Air Force.”USAFE 



AMC 



africom 



86th Airlift Wing 



Ramstein AB 



EUCOM 



Hercules 



37th Airlift Squadron 



Lockheed 



Enterprise Fleet Management 



C-130 Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil