Georgia's Guard Dawgs receive Super Hercules
On 22 January 2024, Georgia Air National Guard’s 158th Airlift Squadron/165th Airlift Wing, based at Savannah International Airport (GA), received its first of eight Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft. On 30 November 2020, Scramble Magazine wrote about the future basing of new Air National Guard Super Hercules'.
Devoid of any markings, the first C-130J, with serial number 20-5975, was shown at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta plant (GA) and will soon be inducted by the Guard Dawgs at Savannah. The 158th AS/165th AW, the first C-130 operator in the state of Georgia, received its first Hercules in 1975 and has operated several versions throughout the years, the latest being the H-variant.
In addition to being the first C-130J to be based in Georgia, serial 20-5975 stands as the first Super Hercules built by Lockheed Martin in the Block 8.1 configuration during its initial production. The incorporation of the Block 8.1 configuration features a state-of-the-art flight management system, upgraded navigation and inter-communication systems, and a modernised friend-or-foe identification system (IFF).
Credit photo: USAF