Marine "A"C-130s AKA "Harvest Hawk"

[Flash]

USMC KC-130 Gunships?!

According to the 18 August Aviation Week & Space Technology the Marines are going to start testing KC-130J's armed with a 30mm cannon and Hellfire missiles on the left wing, along with a roll-on/roll-off targeting and ISR package, in December. I remember seeing something shortly after the start of OEF where a Commandant expressed an interest in buying AC-130's, I guess they are going to do what they can afford. The article says they plan to purchase 3 systems per squadron.

Unfortunately I don't have a link to the story and I can't find anything on Google, but I figured I would throw it out there.

 

[mmx1]

The esteemed Aviation Leak and Space Mythology? I'd love for it to be true but I'll hold out for some corroboration.

 

[porw0004]

I was more interested in their article questioning/analyzing why Russia's air force got their nose a little bloodied by Georgia's air defense system while Israel completely owned Syria's.

 

[Swanee]

Does anyone have any tangible knowledge on whether or not the Marine Corps is going to put a 20 or 30mm gun on their C-130s? An SPC tells me that the program was axed in early January, and it's not happening. Yet I recall hearing since then that it is going to happen/is happening.

 

[Herc_Dude]

We heard the same a few months back, however the latest word is that it's still going to happen. Thats about the most specific I can get for ya. We will see ...

 

[Mumbles]

I seem to recall 25mm bushmaster cannon as well as a medley of hellfires and small diameter bombs.

 

[Flash]

The program is called Harvest Hawk, I don't know of its current status.

 

[usmarinemike]

Word from CMC's mouth on second week of January was that it was happening. His words were something to the effect of "We're cutting a hole in the side and putting a cannon in it." So as of January it's on.

 

[gtxc2001]

An email from MAWTS-1 that I saw back in November or December indicated that this idea was officially dead.

 

[skidkid]

And then another one that said it was back on.

 

[HeyJoe]

KC-130J Super Hercules; to be or not to be?...to be

An email from MAWTS-1 that I saw back in November or December indicated that this idea was officially dead.

Old news. There are some technical challenges, but USMC sought and was approved in Mid-March for reprogramming of ~$50M in FY2009 funding to start immediately to develop and field the KC-130J Super Hercules that will feature a Mk 44 30mm cannon, Hellfire and other standoff weapons and an ISR package.

 

[nittany03]

USMC sought and was approved in Mid-March for reprogramming of ~$50M in FY2009 funding to start immediately to develop and field the KC-130J Super Hercules that will feature a Mk 44 3mm cannon

They might do better if they up it to .22 Long Rifle.

 

[HeyJoe]

They might do better if they up it to .22 Long Rifle.

My bad. How about 30mm?

ATK Bushmaster 30mm cannon

Note: what CMC meant to say was it will be installed in the port paratroop door thereby avoiding having to cut metal.

 

[gaijin6423]

Did the small diameter bomb/JDAM mortars/whatever idea get canx'd then? Initially, we had heard that the rotary launcher system was going to require some airframe mods to make it all work. So if they're talking about not doing any cutting... Admittedly, we were getting our information quite literally as far from the people making the decisions as it's possible to be, so what was likely bad gouge then is probably old bad gouge now.

So, if they're going to throw all this stuff into back anyway, how about some extra radios for C2, and just let the DASC have it? We're pretty good about not breaking shit, I swear.

 

[xcrunner09]

KC-130 Gunships??

ok so my mom is a dental hygenist on NAS Pensacola and she was talking to an SNA and asked him about the C-130 communtiy since that is where i want to go.

He said that they talked to the Commandant recently and they are going to start outfitting the KC-130s with guns and use them as gunships in Afghanistan. Any -30 guys out there that can fill me in more?