Super Hercules for NOAA
On 27 September 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that it has awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin for acquiring two specialised C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, with an option on two more.
The Super Hercules will be modified to serve as flying laboratories in support of NOAA’s hurricane and environmental research. The new aircraft are expected to join the NOAA fleet in 2030 and they will replace the long-serving Lockheed WP-3D Orions, which have operated since the mid-1970s.
The new C-130Js will allow NOAA to accommodate larger science payloads, which is not possible with their current fleet of specialised Orions. The aircraft will be based at the NOAA Aircraft Operations Centre in Lakeland (FL), along with NOAA’s other specialised environmental data-gathering aircraft. The fleet is operated, managed and maintained by a combination of NOAA Corps officers and civilian personnel.
The two WP-3D Orions, N42RF (c/n 285A-5632) and N43RF (c/n 285A-5633), were purchased by the Department of Commerce in 1975. The aircraft are operated by the NOAA and are not only used for hurricane and weather reconnaissance missions, but also for international meteorological and oceanographic research programmes.
Credit image: NOAA