Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 19, 2007
Pg. 5G
By Staff and News Services
Lockheed Martin's C-130J, built at the company's Marietta plant, "is not effective for worldwide operations," according to a Pentagon weapons testing report.
The report says the midsize transport plane has weaknesses in its missle defense system that could make deployment risky in certain areas of the world, Bloomberg News reported Thursday.
Four of the planes are flying in Iraq, and they have adequate defenses against older hand-held anti-aircraft rockets used by insurgents there, the report said.
But they might be vulnerable to newer systems, such as those used by North Korea, China and Iran, Bloomberg reported.
The report said work on improving the plane's defense systems continues.
It also said the C-130J cannot drop paratroopers while flying in formation because of flaws in a computer that is supposed to keep planes at a safe distance from each other. And it cited high rates of false alarms from an onboard diagnostic system, Bloomberg reported.
The news service said critics of multiyear C-130J contracts, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), might use the report to challenge new purchase requests.
Currently, the Air Force has a five-year, $4 billion order for 60 new C-130Js through 2008, with Pentagon approval to buy 30 more through 2013, Bloomberg reported.
Lockheed Martin spokesman Thomas Jurkowsky told Bloomberg that the company hasn't seen the report but would point out that the plane "was declared operationally capable" by the Air Force last September.
"The aircraft is currently deployed in two combat theaters, is being flown by both U.S. and allied operators, and is operating at a very high tempo efficiently and reliably," he said.
Lockheed developed the "J" model in the mid-1990s. It includes various updates and improvements over older models and carries a higher price tag.
January 19, 2007
Pg. 5G
By Staff and News Services
Lockheed Martin's C-130J, built at the company's Marietta plant, "is not effective for worldwide operations," according to a Pentagon weapons testing report.
The report says the midsize transport plane has weaknesses in its missle defense system that could make deployment risky in certain areas of the world, Bloomberg News reported Thursday.
Four of the planes are flying in Iraq, and they have adequate defenses against older hand-held anti-aircraft rockets used by insurgents there, the report said.
But they might be vulnerable to newer systems, such as those used by North Korea, China and Iran, Bloomberg reported.
The report said work on improving the plane's defense systems continues.
It also said the C-130J cannot drop paratroopers while flying in formation because of flaws in a computer that is supposed to keep planes at a safe distance from each other. And it cited high rates of false alarms from an onboard diagnostic system, Bloomberg reported.
The news service said critics of multiyear C-130J contracts, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), might use the report to challenge new purchase requests.
Currently, the Air Force has a five-year, $4 billion order for 60 new C-130Js through 2008, with Pentagon approval to buy 30 more through 2013, Bloomberg reported.
Lockheed Martin spokesman Thomas Jurkowsky told Bloomberg that the company hasn't seen the report but would point out that the plane "was declared operationally capable" by the Air Force last September.
"The aircraft is currently deployed in two combat theaters, is being flown by both U.S. and allied operators, and is operating at a very high tempo efficiently and reliably," he said.
Lockheed developed the "J" model in the mid-1990s. It includes various updates and improvements over older models and carries a higher price tag.