cOMBAT sHADOW

The US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) is to retire the last group of MC-130P Combat Shadow special mission aircraft from the Pacific region this month.

The 17th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) marked the beginning of the MC-130P retirement, with the last final formation flight taking place at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

17th SOS commander lieutenant colonel Nathan Colunga said: "This event marks the historic beginning of the end for the MC-130P Combat Shadow in the Pacific.

"It has served our command well, but ultimately it is time to retire the fleet and bring out the MC-130J Commando II as its replacement."

Manufactured in the 1960s, Lockheed Martin-built MC-130P is a modified C-130E/H series airframe designed for infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special operations forces. It is also utilized for air refuelling of special operations helicopter and tilt-rotor aircraft.

"This event marks the historic beginning of the end for the MC-130P Combat Shadow in the Pacific."

Previously designated HC-130N/P, the aircraft entered service with AFSOC in the mid-1980s. It conducted critical air refuelling missions in the late 1980s during ‘Operation Just Cause’ in Panama and the early 1990s during ‘Operation Desert Storm’.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

In the Pacific region alone, the aircraft supported more than a dozen named operations. This included combat missions during ‘Operations Enduring Freedom’ and ‘Iraqi Freedom’ to humanitarian assistance disaster relief operations across Asia.

The last group of Kadena Combat Shadows are scheduled to leave for the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, US, this month, while the final MC-130P from the Pacific is set to retire in April 2015.

May 2015 is the scheduled decommission date for the last USAF MC-130P Combat Shadow.

Image: Two USAF MC-130P Combat Shadows fly over the coast of Okinawa, Japan. Photo: courtesy of US Air Force photo / airman 1st class Keith James.

Defence Technology