C-130J Cash

The Pentagon yesterday awarded Lockheed Martin a $315.6 million contract for five C-130J-based aircraft using wartime supplemental funding from 2008 and this year, according to a Defense Department announcement.

Three baseline C-130J aircraft and one Marine Corps KC-130J were funded using fiscal year 2008 overseas contingency operations money, and one Air Force HC-130J aircraft was funded using FY-10 OCO dollars At this time, $250.7 million has been obligated.

Last month, the Defense Department provided Congress an initial report on its cost, schedule and performance projections for an $8 billion Air Force effort to recapitalize the service's fleet of HC/MC-130 aircraft.

The HC/MC-130 program, which was launched in 2008 with initial acquisitions to meet urgent war needs, has evolved into a formal major defense acquisition program. As of June, Lockheed had received orders for 288 C-130J aircraft, 196 of which have been delivered to the Pentagon and allies.