[MilCom] Fwd: [CivilAirlineComms] Civil version of C-130J launched

[AllanStern at aol.com]

Lockheed Martin launches civil version of C-130J military transport  plane
Mon, Feb 3 2014
By Andrea Shalal-Esa, Reuters

WASHINGTON, Feb  3 (Reuters) -- Lockheed Martin Corp on Monday launched the 
civil variant of  its C-130J Super Hercules military transport plane, the 
LM-100J, saying it  expected to sell about 75 of the planes to mining and 
energy companies and  other commercial and government customers in coming 
years.

Lockheed  Martin said it had asked the US Federal Aviation Administration 
(FAA) to certify  the LM-100J, which will mirror the four-engine C-130J 
military workhorse, but  without military avionics and communications equipment.

"The significance  of that kickoff is that we're expanding the capability 
of 
the C-130  enterprise into the commercial arena. That opens up a different 
market to  us," said Jack Crisler, vice president of business development 
for 
Lockheed  Martin's air mobility, special operations, and maritime programs.

Crisler  told Reuters that Lockheed Martin hoped to land an initial order 
for 
the new  LM-100J aircraft this summer, but declined to provide more 
details. 
He said  the turboprop plane would be priced in the mid-$60-million  range.

Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon's No. 1 supplier, is looking to  adjacent 
markets and foreign orders for its weapons to offset weaker US and  European 
defense spending.

Lockheed Martin said it built more than 100  L-100s from 1964 to 1992 and 
many of those commercial and government customers  were now starting to look 
for replacement aircraft.

Other plane-makers,  including Brazil's Embraer, are also eyeing potential 
sales of large cargo  planes.

"The LM-100J is...a modern answer to the existing, multi-tasked  L-100 
airlift fleet," George Shultz, vice president and general manager of  
Lockheed Martin's C-130 programs. "Our customers and legacy L-100 operators 
 
tell us that the best replacement for an L-100 is an advanced version of 
the  
same aircraft."

Crisler said the plane would give civil operators the  technology, 
reliability, and capabilities of the popular C-130J Super  Hercules, which 
can operate from short, unprepared airfields without ground  support 
equipment and allows quick loading and unloading of equipment at the  
height 
of a truck.

He said the plane was ideally suited for use by  oil and gas operators and 
mining companies, which needed to deliver  generators and other heavy 
equipment to austere locations around the world.  The plane can also be 
used 
for aerial spray, firefighting, medical  evaluations, humanitarian aid, and 
VIP transport, Lockheed Martin  said.

Lockheed Martin spokeswoman Stephanie Stinn said the civil variant  was 
certified by the FAA in 1998, but Lockheed Martin let the certification  
lapse as it focused the military C-130J variant, which has racked up over 1 
 
million flight hours worldwide.

Crisler said it would take about  three years to build the first LM-100Js, 
followed by about a year of testing  before the civil version of the plane 
was re-certified.

Crisler said  Lockheed Martin was also in talks with 12 foreign countries 
about additional  C-130J orders, adding that he expected several orders to 
be 
placed this  year.

He said the company expected the C-130J line, now producing 24  aircraft a 
year, to keep running until beyond the end of the decade given  continued 
strong demand.

"The prospects internationally for the  C-130J are very good," Crisler said.


AL STERN  Satellite Beach  FL
AllanStern at aol.com
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