Lockheed RC-130 Hercules

RC-130 Hercules
Role	Military reconnaissance aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Lockheed
First flight	1958
Primary user	United States Air Force
Produced	15
Developed from	Lockheed C-130 Hercules

The Lockheed RC-130 Hercules were variants of the C-130 Hercules, designed for photographic or electronic reconnaissance missions.^[1]

Operational history

On 2 September 1958, C-130A-II 56-0528 was shotdown after it intruded into Soviet airspace during a reconnaissance mission along the Turkish-Armenian border.^[2]

Variants

C-130A-II: Electronics reconnaissance variant for use by 7407th Combat Support Wing, ten conversions from C-130A.^[1]
RC-130A: Photo reconnaissance variant, one converted from a TC-130A and 15 built new.^[1]
C-130B-II: Electronic reconnaissance variant, 15 converted from C-130B later designated RC-130B.^[1]
RC-130B: Re-designated from C-130B-II, all later converted back to C-130Bs.^[1]
RC-130S: Two JC-130A aircraft were modified with the Battlefield Illumination Airborne System (BIAS) for night search-and rescue missions with the 446th Tactical Airlift Wing.^[1]^[3]

Operators

United States

United States Air Force

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Francillon 1982, p. 347-373
^ "NSA PDF file" (PDF).
^ Pike, John. "Battlefield Illumination Airborne System (BIAS)". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 14 September 2018.

Bibliography

Francillon, René. Lockheed Aircraft since 1913. London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30329-6.

[la1913-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Francillon 1982, p. 347-373

[2] "NSA PDF file" (PDF).

[Pike-3] Pike, John. "Battlefield Illumination Airborne System (BIAS)". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 14 September 2018.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Basic versions	C-130A C-130E C-130H C-130J
Modified variants	AC-130 DC-130 EC-130E EC-130H EC-130J HC-130 KC-130 LC-130 MC-130 RC-130 WC-130
Civil variants	L-100 L-382
Related lists	Accidents and incidents Operators

v t e United States military transport aircraft designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems
Army/Air Force sequence (1925-1962)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 C-8 C-9 C-10 C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16 C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20 C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 C-28 C-29 C-30 C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34 C-35 C-36 C-37 C-38 C-39 C-40 C-41 C-41A C-42 C-43 C-44 C-45 C-46 C-47 C-47F C-47T AC-47 C-48 C-49 C-50 C-51 C-52 C-53 C-54 C-55 C-56 C-57 C-58 C-59 C-60 C-61 C-62 C-63 C-64 C-65 C-66 C-67 C-68 C-69 C-70 C-70B C-71 C-72 C-73 C-74 C-75 C-76 C-77 C-77B–D C-78 C-79 C-80 C-81 C-82 C-83 C-83A C-83B C-84 C-85 C-86 C-87 C-88 C-89 C-90 C-91 C-92 C-93 C-94 C-95 C-96 C-97 KC-97 C-98 C-99 C-100 C-101 C-102 C-103 C-104 C-105 C-106 C-107 C-108 C-109 C-110 C-111 C-112 C-113 C-114 C-115 C-116 C-117 C-117D C-118 C-119 AC-119 C-120 C-121 C-121F EC-121 C-122 C-123 C-123A C-124 C-125 C-126 C-127² C-127 (I) C-127 (II) C-128 C-129 C-130 C-130J AC-130 DC-130 EC-130/H HC-130 KC-130 LC-130 MC-130 WC-130 C-131 NC-131H C-132 C-133 C-134 C-135 KC-135 C-136 C-137² YC-137 (I) YC-137 (II) C-137 C-138¹ C-139¹ C-140 C-141 C-142
Tri-service sequence (1962-present)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7² C-7 RC-7 C-8 C-9 C-10² C-10 KC-10 C-11 C-12 RC-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16¹ C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20² C-20A–D C-20F–J C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 C-27J C-28 C-29 C-30¹ C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34¹ C-35 C-36³ C-37 C-37B C-38 C-39¹ C-40 C-41 C-42¹ C-43¹ C-44¹ C-45 C-46
Revived original sequence (2005-present)	C-143 C-144 C-145 C-146 C-147
Non-sequential designations	C-767 C-767B C-880
Related designations	CT-39 CT-43 CV-2 CV-7
¹ Not assigned • ² Assigned to multiple types • ³ Unconfirmed

Operational history

Variants

Operators

See also

References

Bibliography