Increasing military activity by China and Russia in the Far North is likely behind a mission to modernize an obscure but strategically vital New York-based Air National Guard transport squadron. The War Zone is reporting that $29 million in research money has been shifted to speed up reequipping the 109th Air Wing with the latest model C-130J on skis. The squadron is the only unit to operate on snow and they’re using 30- to 50-year-old H-model Hercs as their “Ski Birds.” Over the years the aircraft have been modernized with new props and avionics, but parts are getting hard to find and reliability is suffering, according to The War Zone.
The 109th operates 10 ski-equipped Hercs used to supply military facilities and operations in the Arctic and Antarctic. They are capable of operating on ice and packed snow runways. Against the blur of appropriations requests for high-tech fighters and drones, the little Guard unit from Stratton Air National Guard Base has some high-horsepower political support. Among those who have been campaigning for the upgrades is Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a longtime supporter of the Wing. “There is no time to waste in delivering new ski-birds for the 109th,” Schumer said during debate over defense money eight years ago. There is a chance that two new planes worth $290 million will be in the current appropriations, but the $29 million reallocation of research money is considered a positive step.
C130s have been an amazing aircraft. M first year in the USAF, 1964, they were already in service big time. We had a bunch of A models still, 3 bladed props, but the upgraded Bs were already in use too, 4 bladed props. And here about 60 years later they are still at it. And the civilian L-100/L-382 were pretty popular for a while.
What a versatile machine. Maybe we should have a few of these up north of 60.