Program team members from L3Harris and the Air Force gathered to commemorate the team’s recent power on milestone and progress on the USAF C-130 Avionics Modernization Program Increment 2 (AMP INC 2). The event was hosted planeside at the company’s Waco, Texas aircraft modification center, with attendees surrounded by AMP INC 2 and USAF Contractor Depot Maintenance Program C-130s.
“This milestone is significant because it shows we are rising to the challenge,” said Sara Tatsch, General Manager of L3Harris Modernization and Modifications Group, L3Harris. “It shows that once again, our teams are focused on providing the best solutions and tools for our customer, the men and women of the Armed Forces. [We stand ready] to handle a project of this complexity – three incoming types of C-130Hs with 19 separate configurations… upgraded in the AMP INC 2 avionics architecture.”
Dr. Joseph “JP” Peloquin, Chief of the C-130 Hercules Division, Mobility and Training Aircraft Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center discussed the collaboration between L3Harris and the USAF AMP INC 2 special program office (SPO).
“Here we are today standing in front of an aircraft that many people though we would never get here,” Dr. Peloquin said. “I’m very proud to be here today to represent C-130 SPO.”
Col. John Cluck, 139th Airlift Wing Commander, Missouri Air National Guard, also addressed the AMP INC 2 government and company collaboration.
“Thank you all for allowing us to be a part of this today, to everyone here who is clearly invested in the C-130H model community – L3Harris, our SPO, everybody,” said Col. Cluck. “Deep thanks to all involved to get us to this stage. The 139th and St. Joe Air National Guard unit are excited about ours being the first one out of the gate. We are really looking forward to working with all of our partners in this room today to continue to enhance the capabilities of what I believe to be the most capable tactical airlift platform out there.”
Once local aircraft testing is complete, it will transition into joint developmental testing at Eglin Air Force Base, with delivery of three aircraft to follow for operational testing later this year. Low-Rate Initial Production is slated to begin in August with Full Rate Production beginning in 2023.
