U.S. Says Its Diplomats Are Out Of Ukraine After U.S. Special Ops Planes Tracked Near Polish Border (Updated)
Air Force special operations aircraft were tracked near Ukraine amid reports of an evacuation of the U.S. Embassy there.
Tag: Commando II
MC-130J Commando II Simulated Launching A Pallet Of Cruise Missiles During A Mock Strike Mission
Advanced network capabilities were key to the most recent test of an MC-130J special operations transport plane transformed into a missile truck.
Amphibious MC-130J Transport Is On Special Operations Command’s Wishlist
There have been proposals for a waterborne C-130 Hercules in the past, but the U.S. special operations community might just make it a reality.
America’s Elite Flying Unit That Made The Recent Long-Range Hostage Rescue In Africa Possible
The Nigerian rescue mission shows how CV-22B Ospreys and MC-130J Commando IIs based in the UK are truly America’s “9-1-1” force.
Air Force Unveils First Test Of Arsenal Plane Concept And New CLEAVER Munition
The Air Force is now actively pursuing a stand-off strike capability for its cargo aircraft.
Check Out The Crazy Radar That Lies Beneath The MC-130H Combat Talon II’s Gonzo Nose
The U.S. Air Force’s 1st Special Operations Wing has released video footage of various routine maintenance on an MC-130H Combat Talon II special operations transport that includes a look inside the aircraft’s nose at its powerful AN/APQ-170 radar. The AN/APQ-170 offers robust terrain-following and terrain avoidance capabilities that all but two of the newer MC-130J Commando II’s lack, a glaring issue the War Zone has reported on in detail in the past, which is why the Combat Talon IIs remains in service at all nearly a decade after the type’s original sunset date.
USAF MC-130J Spec Ops Transport Flies Through Taiwan Strait With U.S. Spy Plane Nearby
A U.S. Air Force MC-130J Commando II special operations transport made a rare trip through the highly sensitive Taiwan Strait today, flying along the so-called “Median Line” that serves as the de facto boundary between Taiwan and mainland China. There was a variety of other interesting military aerial activity in the area around the same time, including an RC-135W Rivet Joint spy plane flying what appeared to be an intelligence-gathering operation just to the south and still unidentified aircraft flying an orbit within the Strait itself.
Watch Four U.S. Special Operations C-130s Roar Through A Valley Together In The U.K.
Seeing so many transports hitting the low-level routes together is a rare sight to behold.
Behold An MC-130J Spec Ops Transport With Its Badly Needed Terrain Following Radar Installed
Lockheed Martin has released a video showing one of the first MC-130J Commando II special operations transports equipped with the Raytheon AN/APQ-187 Silent Knight terrain-following/terrain avoidance radar. The U.S. Air Force plans to upgrade the entire Commando II fleet to this new configuration in the coming years, giving the planes a nap-of-the-earth flight capability that is essential for performing their special operations missions, but which they have lacked since their introduction nearly a decade ago.
Glimpse Of The Future?: MC-130 Sets Up Forward Refueling Point For MQ-9 Reaper Drone
The ability to rush small detachments of unmanned aircraft to remote, forward locations could enable all new operational concepts.