IAF C-130 -
DEFENCE & SECURITY
News: In a first, IAF
C-130 with Garud commandos makes night landing at Kargil ALG
What's in the
news?
●
In a first, an Indian Air Force (IAF)
C-130 Super Hercules tactical transport aircraft made a night landing at the
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in Kargil close to the Line of Control (LoC) with
Pakistan along with a team of Garud special forces.
Key takeaways:
●
Explaining the significance, an official
said the Advanced Landing Ground is located at an altitude of around 10,000
feet and is a restricted airstrip with unidirectional approach surrounded by
rough terrain.
IAF C-130:
●
It is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft.
● It is the latest production version of the C-130 Hercules.
It replaced, in production, the previous C-130H.
● The C-130J Super Hercules made its first flight in 1996.
● It is the US Air
Force’s principal tactical cargo and personnel transport aircraft.
●
It was developed by Lockheed Martin, a US
security and aerospace company.
Countries:
● The largest operators are the US Air Force, US Marine Corps, Australia, Canada, India, Italy, and the
United Kingdom.
Features:
●
It primarily performs the tactical
portion of the airlift mission, is capable of operating from rough, dirt
strips, and is the prime transport for airdropping troops and equipment into
hostile areas.
● It has reduced crew requirements. A minimal crew of three
men is required to operate this aircraft, including two pilots and one
loadmaster.
● It has a payload
capacity of 19 tonnes.
● It is powered by four Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprop
engines.
● It has digital avionics, including a Head-Up Display (HUD)
for each pilot.
● Range: 6,852 km (no payload)
● Speed: 644 km/hr
● Endurance: 20+ hours
●
It is capable of short takeoffs and
landings from unprepared runways.
C-130J-30:
●
It is a stretch version of the C-130J.
●
The C-130J-30 adds 15 feet to the
fuselage, increasing usable space (two more pallets of equipment) in the cargo
compartment.