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C-130J Hercules Undergoes New Test

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. (AFPN) -- As part of the second phase of the C-130J Hercules qualification test and evaluation, the aircraft will fly airdrop and formation-drop operations later this month.

The aircraft from here will take part in an exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., from Nov. 13 to 17. The evaluation will test the aircraft's warfighting capabilities.

"The JRTC exercise is the graduation exercise for the airplane-high mobility operations, 24-hour surge operations and interoperability with the Army equipment and personnel generated from Little Rock," said Lt. Col. Mike Brignola, who will conduct the evaluation.

The colonel is chief of global mobility test division at the Air Force Operation Test and Evaluation Center at Edward Air Force Base, Calif. He said the C-130J will become a fully operationally capable airframe when it successful completes the test.

"This is another step toward the goal of arming our warfighters with the unmatched capability of the C-130J," Colonel Brignola said. "We do a soup-to-nuts evaluation, write a report on it and (Air Mobility Command) releases the capabilities that tested successfully."

The testing includes a main operating base phase made up of local training scenarios, tactical missions and sorties with other C-130 airframes. The final part of the evaluation includes a deployment to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, for cold-weather testing.

The 48th Airlift Squadron here is the lead unit for the test, providing planes and people. The squadron will continue training C-130J aircrews during testing.

"We're doing two totally separate roles out of this squadron," said Maj. Dave Flynn, the squadron's qualification, operations, test and evaluation commander. "While we're performing the OTE we're also flying with new students who are coming through to get qualified on the C-130J."

Phase one of the qualification, operations, test and evaluation began in 1999.

Source: Air Force Link