MANG First Base In The Country To Receive New C130J Aircraft

In September of last year, the announcement was made that the Montana Air National Guard located in Great Falls would be one of the few military operations in the country to receive the new C130J aircraft.

386th Air Expeditionary Wing Pub

C-130 in the sunset

A C-130 deployed from the 120th Airlift Wing, Montana Air National Guard, sits on the ramp as the sun sets at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait on July 29, 2019. C-130's carry cargo around the AFCENT area of responsibility to deliver combat power where needed. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Michael Mason)

The new C130J airplanes would replace the aging fleet of C130H's.

You can check out the original story below.

Read Here: Great Falls Air Base Among Four In The Nation To Receive A Massive Plane Upgrade

375th Air Mobility Wing

C-130 drop

Members of the 375th Operations Support Squadron's Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape unit performed a static line jump from a C-130 Hercules as part of an incentive flight on Nov. 16 for excelling members of Scott Air Force Base, Ill., Nov. 16, 2017. The first jump on Scott's new air drop occurred on March 1st, 2017. Since then, Scott has seen a significant increase in flight line drops, helping to further enable rapid global mobility. (U.S. Air Force photos by Airman 1st Class Chad Gorecki)

Senator Jon Tester's office made the announcement on Tuesday, April 9th, 2024, that not only will the Montana Air National Guard receive the new planes, they will be the first in the country to do so.

The National Guard Bases of Connecticut, Minnesota, and Illinois are also slated to receive upgrades.

153rd Airlift Wing

Wings Across Wyoming

A C-130 Hercules from the 153d Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, flies over the state of Wyoming in appreciation for essential personnel on the front lines of COVID-19 on May 15, 2020. Cheyenne, Wyo. The flight was comprised of 2 C-130 Hercules aircrafts and the route included 35 hospitals and clinics throughout the state with only two of those being diverted due to inclement weather. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Alderman)

"The brave guardsmen and women serving at Montana Air National Guard deserve top-flight tools to help keep our state and country safe," said Tester. "That's why I fought for years to bring new C-130Js to MANG, and it's why I made the case directly to Air Force leadership that the first base to receive these updated fleets should be right here in Montana. The C-130Js are a big plane with a big mission, and I'm looking forward to seeing the fleet up and running to help ensure a big state like Montana remains the greatest state in the greatest country in the world."

C130J Funding

The planes are funded through $840 million from the latest FY24 Appropriations package.

Additionally, more than $1.7 billion was allocated for 16 C-130Js in the FY23 Appropriations package, and $1.8 billion was allocated for 16 C-130Js for the Air National Guard in the FY22 Appropriations package.