Gallery: C-130 Begins Its Eighth Decade

With the delivery of the 2,700th Hercules in June, Lockheed Martin says the global fleet of J model aircraft exceeds 540 airframes, operated by 26 entities in 22 nations.

Among those nations is Indonesia, whose air force has five C-130Js in the stretched -30 variant, and 24 older B, H and L-100-30s. The IDAF also operates one KC-130B tanker. The J aircraft pictured was delivered in 2023.
 

The German Air Force's first C-130J was delivered in 2021. The service currently has three tanker and three transport configuration aircraft which are based at Evreux-Fauville, France, as part of the only binational Hercules squadron.

The 500th C-130J to be delivered - in March 2022 - was this -30 model, assigned to the 130th Airlift Wing at McLaughlin Air National Guard Base, Charleston, WV.

The 2,500th Hercules was this HC-130J, handed over in December 2015. It is currently assigned to the USAF's 79th Rescue Squadron and based at Davis-Monthan AFB, Az.
 

The 400th C-130J was delivered on February 9, 2018. It has since been converted to AC-130J gunship configuration and is now operated by the 73rd Special Operations Squadron and is based at Hurlburt Field, FL..

The 2,600th Hercules was flown from the Marietta, Ga., plant where the type has been produced since its inception to Cannon AFB, NM, on October 22, 2019.

The YC-130 prototype during its first flight, from Lockheed's Burbank, Ca., plant to Edwards AFB, August 23, 1954.