The Aircraft of MDT: EC-130J

Welcome to the tenth regular installment of The Aircraft of MDT. In this series we are taking a look at some of the aircraft that you may spot flying to and from Harrisburg International Airport.

An EC-130E taxis at MDT

Although the EC-130J Commando Solo operates all over the world, it has only a single home base, the Pennsylvania Air National Guard Base at Harrisburg International Airport. Utilized for psychological operations missions, exclusively by the 193^rd Special Operations Wing, the EC-130J is a specialized modification of the Lockheed Martin C-130J.

The United States Air Force issued the initial call for a new transport to replace aging World-War II era piston-engine aircraft in 1951. Ten design submissions were offered up by five companies, but the aircraft that ultimately filled the role was the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The first production C-130s were delivered in 1956. Since then, more than 2,300 C-130s have been built. Production of the latest version of the aircraft, the C-130J Super Hercules, continues, making it the only military aircraft ever to have remained in continuous production for more than 50 years with its original customer.

In the foreground,  an EC-130E, and in the
background, an EC-130J
(note the number of propeller blades on each).

The base model C-130 has gone through several design upgrades over the years. The C-130J is most easily distinguished from all of its earlier counterparts by the six-bladed propellers. The original C-130A had 3-bladed propellers, and subsequent models featured four-bladed propellers. Each design iteration has served as the basis for numerous variants, including gunships, tankers, and aircraft outfitted for search and rescue, weather reconnaissance, firefighting, and Arctic/Antarctic operations.

The EC-130J Commando Solo III (and, until the last one was retired in 2006, the EC-130E Commando Solo II) is a variant modified to broadcast television and radio signals over a wide area. The X-shaped antenna on its tail makes it easy to distinguish from other C-130s. At its maximum altitude of 23,000 feet, the EC-130J has a broadcast range of up to 194 miles. The psychological operations (PSYOP) missions of the EC-130(J) may involve broadcasting information to local people regarding US military operations, or in support of US military goals. Recently, the EC-130J was used in Libya to warn Libyan shipping vessels not to leave port during the international military intervention that took place in the spring of 2011. The EC-130J has also been used in support of civil affairs. After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the aircraft broadcast a message from the Haitian ambassador to the United States, as well as information on where citizens could find aid.

An EC-130J parked on the PA Air National Guard Apron

If you look east from the Harrisburg International Airport terminal, you will usually see several of the 7 EC-130Js that have been built parked on the PA Air National Guard Apron.