The US Coast Guard has received the 18th airframe to be modified into an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft from Lockheed Martin as part of the service’s airborne long-range surveillance fleet modernization program.Shipped in its base C-130J Super Hercules configuration, the plane will undergo a one-year integration process in Georgia to enhance its maritime patrol and heavy air transport capability according to the effort’s standards.Among the primary upgrades of the initiative is the installation of the Minotaur mission suite, which combines intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, sensor, radar, communications, cyber, and command and control processing solutions, improving the aircraft’s data collection, transmission, and performance.Moreover, the plane will be fitted with specialized GPS, approach and landing systems, diagnostics, and corresponding devices to comply with US Federal Aviation Administration requirements.Upon completing its modifications, the missionized Combat King aircraft is expected to achieve full operational status by 2026. Delivery of the platform is also scheduled for the same year.Similar to its sister aircraft, the 17th Combat King will also undertake search and rescue, drug interdiction, immigrant deportation, cargo and personnel transport, and other flights supporting US Customs and Border Protection and Department of Homeland Security in addition to its main long-range survey tasks.The HC-130J Combat King II AircraftThe 98-foot (30-meter) Combat King II system has a wingspan of 133 feet (41 meters).It has a cargo capacity of 35,000 pounds (15,876 kilograms) and a fuel load of up to 9,000 gallons (34,069 liters).The plane is equipped with four Rolls-Royce turboprop engines with about 4,500 horsepower each.The Combat King II has a top speed of 320 knots (368 miles/593 kilometers per hour), a range of 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometers), and a service ceiling of 33,000 feet (10,058 meters).CGNR 2017, the 17th missionized HC-130J to enter the Coast Guard fleet, completes test flights before its delivery Dec. 18, 2024, to the Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Photo: US Coast GuardThe post Lockheed Martin Delivers 18th Combat King II Airframe to US Coast Guard appeared first on The Defense Post.