Lockheed Martin is offering a maritime surveillance version of its Hercules transport called the SC-130J to the international market.

There are two phases to the programme, says Jim Grant, Lockheed C-130 business development director. The first phase is a simple maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft.

But phase two adds weapons. The sensors and weapons that could be offered to international customers are likely to be the same ones as those found on the US Marine Corps Harvest high altitude weapons kit (Harvest HAWK), Grant says. He adds that he expects the US government to be amenable to releasing those weapons for sale.

Those weapons include Hellfire missiles, Viper Strike bombs, Griffin missiles and a 30mm cannon. The kit also includes a Lockheed Target Sight System normally found on the Bell AH-1Z Viper.

Grant says he cannot disclose which countries have expressed interest in the new variant. But he says that they include nations in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Source: Flight Daily News