BUILT IN COBB COUNTY
Facts about the C-130J and the Pentagon’s new order for 78 of the planes:
— Lockheed Martin has about 5,600 workers at its Marietta plant, including 2,000 tied to the C-130 program.
— The C-130 debuted in 1954, and about 2,500 have been built since then.
— The latest version offers new avionics, engines and other enhancements.
— The contract is valued at $5.3 billion, with $1 billion funded for the first 32 planes.
— All 78 planes are expected to be delivered by 2020.
Source: Lockheed Martin
A $5.3 billion order by the U.S. government to buy dozens of latest-generation C-130 transport planes should help keep the production line at Lockheed Martin’s plant in Cobb County humming into the next decade, a company executive said Tuesday.
The Pentagon recently announced $1 billion in funding to buy the first 32 aircraft in an order of 78 C-130J Super Hercules planes. It’s the largest single order since the J model was launched in the late 1990s.
The order includes versions for cargo, refueling, special forces and other missions.
The plant at Dobbins Air Reserve Base employs about 5,600 people, with about 2,000 linked directly to the C-130. The order helps ensure Lockheed will maintain its workforce in Cobb, said Ray Fajay, Lockhead Martin vice president for air mobility and maritime missions.
“What it does for us, from an economic point of view, is it stabilizes our production rate for the next five-year period,” Fajay said.
The ability to plan for the future, he said, provides a “solid foundation for us to invest in the program and to continue to look into the future, both on the domestic side and the international side.”
Versions of the C-130 are flown in about 70 counties, and the U.S. is the largest operator. A large purchase by the Pentagon could encourage other allies to update their fleets, which could extend the program for many years, he said.
A U.S. military workhorse, the C-130 first flew in 1954. About 2,500 have been built at the Marietta plant.
Versions of the plane have flown in combat in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries, as well as in humanitarian, firefighting and weather forecasting roles.
The bulk of the recent Pentagon order will go to the Air Force. Six are planned for the Marine Corps. Separately, the Coast Guard has an option to purchase five planes, Lockheed Martin said.
The planes will be delivered through 2020. From 2003 to 2008, Lockheed delivered 60 C-130Js for the Air Force and Marine Corps from its first multiyear contract.
Fajay said the multiyear structure is more cost-effective for the government than annual purchases.
The first J model flew in 1996. The model suffered from development delays and weak initial sales, but by last September the plant had delivered 342 of the planes. The J looks much like older models but features significant upgrades to engines, cockpits and other components.
Lockheed is at work on an updated civilian version, the LM-100J, for cargo and other purposes. The first orders of those planes are expected to be filled in 2018.
David Connell, president and CEO of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, called the order “great news” for the metro area.
“For those employees it offers stability because they know this (aircraft) buy is for five years,” he said.
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