PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Tactical Airlift Program Office (PMA-207) KC-130J integrated product team successfully completed full operational capability of the Harvest Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit (HAWK) Plus (HH+), Naval Air Systems Command said in a Sep. 20 release. The 10th and final aircraft modified to the HH+ configuration was delivered to the Fleet Marine Forces Aug. 26.
The aircraft modifications were part of the Marine Corps KC-130J Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) / Weapons Mission Kit program that began in 2015. The program improved the existing Marine Corp KC-130J Harvest HAWK system by integrating the MX-20 electro-optical/infrared multi-sensor imaging system and adding door-mounted missile employment capability.
Harvest HAWK+ aircraft modifications began in 2015 with the first aircraft delivering in October 2015. NAVAIR’s aircraft prototype systems division at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, modified the first six aircraft while Sierra Nevada Corp. in Colorado Springs, Colorado, modified the last four aircraft.
Five HH+ aircraft were delivered to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport (VMGR) 352 in Miramar, California, and four aircraft were sent to VMGR-252 in Cherry Point, North Carolina. One HH+ aircraft will remain at VX-20 in Patuxent River for Block 8.1 and future HH+ testing.
“We are proud to provide the Marine Air-Ground Task Force with an updated intra-theater Close Air Support and Multi-Sensor Imagery Reconnaissance capability,” said Capt. Steve Nassau, PMA-207 program manager. “I couldn’t be prouder of my government and contractor team for delivering this critical weapon system to our warfighters.”
