ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – U.S. Air Force avionics experts are moving to low-rate initial production in equipping special operations versions of the Lockheed Martin C-130J four-engine turboprop aircraft with mission-critical secure data communications.
Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., announced a $34 million order Wednesday to Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, Nev., for MC-130J Airborne Mission Networking program (AbMN) low-rate initial production.
This order involves production kits, spare parts, interim contractor support, and weapon system trainer support. The AbMN tactical networking system enables aircrew and mission personnel aboard MC-130J aircraft to send and receive mission-critical data to and from tactical and operational nodes in the battlespace.
AbMN capabilities include secure line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight voice and data communications, friendly force identification, mission tracking, threat identification, full-motion video, collaboration, chat, email, and data links.
AbMN avionics enables Special Forces MC-130 aircraft to streamline command and control, improve situational awareness, and reduce operational risk through real time exchange of digital information among aircraft, components, and other tactical and operational nodes.
The special operations MC-130J Commando II aircraft flies clandestine, or low-visibility single or multiship low-level air refueling missions for special operations helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft.
The MC-130J also performs infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of Special Forces by air or by land inside of politically sensitive or hostile territories. The MC-130J primarily flies missions at night to reduce probability of visual acquisition and intercept by airborne threats. Its secondary mission includes the airdrop of leaflets.
On this contract modification Sierra Nevada will do the work in Centennial, Colo., and should be finished by January 2023. For more information contact Sierra Nevada Corp. online at www.sncorp.com, or the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center-Robins at www.robins.af.mil/Units/AFLCMC.
