As reported on June 18, 2014 by Gareth Jennings in Jane’s, the US Marine Corps has taken delivery of its final KC-130J Hercules equipped with the modern Harvest HAWK mission package.  Originally developed to fulfill an urgent operational requirement for the Marine Corps in Afghanistan, MBDA’s GBU-44/E Viper-E was included to allow the Hercules to attack from steep or shallow final attack angles with low collateral damage effect in mountainous and urban environments.  Viper-E is manufactured by MBDA Inc. in Huntsville, Alabama and is compatible with any NATO standard laser designator, either from the air, from the sea or from ground forces. Click here for the VIPER-E data sheet.

In the article, Jane’s quotes Major John Butler, Marine Aerial Refueling Transport Squadron 252 (VMGR-252) detachment commander in Afghanistan in 2011 to 2012, as stating that;

 “The [CAS] tasking for Harvest HAWK will make your eyes water. Our launch total was considerably more than marine Harriers, navy Hornets, and even air force A-10s. With only one aircraft, we shot close to half of all the kinetic weapons launched in theatre in the nine months we were there.”

Jane’s also cited a comment from a Hercules pilot stating that;

“Units all over Helmand Province regularly began requesting us by name.The British began calling us the Helmand Rock Stars.”

Click here to read the entire article by Gareth Jennings in Jane’s.