Kevin Mather, director of production operations at Lockheed Martin, discusses the company’s success in the defense sector.
As China continues to increase its military spending, US aerospace company Lockheed Martin is focusing on advanced technology.
FOX Business went undercover at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta, Georgia, factory, home of the iconic C-130 Hercules.
The aircraft has spanned America’s military history since 1954 with a wide range of capabilities, and its production has had an economic impact on Georgia as well as military aviation.
Over 70 years, Lockheed Martin produced 2,700 Hercules or Hercs, nearly half of which are still in service today.
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Kevin Maher, director of production operations at Lockheed Martin, speaks with Madison Alworth to highlight the successes of the aerospace company’s employees.
“When you’re doing your job and the guy on the right or the girl on the left is flying that aircraft, the emphasis and criticality to the quality requirements of the aircraft is completely different,” he said.
“I think Americans are very good at building things. I really agree,” he added.
The aerospace company currently produces the C-130J “Super Hercules” model, with more than 540 aircraft delivered to 22 countries in eight variants with a wide range of capabilities tailored to specific missions. . According to the manufacturer, the C-130J can carry up to 46,700 pounds, has a range of 2,160 nautical miles, and reaches a maximum cruise speed of 365 KTAS (true airspeed knots) or 420 miles per hour.
The FOX Business reporter also pointed to the aircraft’s ability to take off and land on short, rough runways.
“Let’s put this in context. A commercial runway is about 10,000 feet. They need a few hundred feet to land or take off. And they can do it in the dirt, in the field, whatever.”
FOX Business’ Madison Alworth meets with Kevin Maher, Lockheed Martin’s director of production operations, for an inside look at the aerospace industry.
Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Marietta, also noted the uniqueness of Hercules’ many mission capabilities.
“The method is [it] It was built to fly fast enough to refuel a fighter jet and slow enough to refuel a helicopter and land on a 3,000-foot runway, which is what makes it so unique. ”
In addition to aerial refueling capabilities, the C-130 provides a platform for missions such as tactical airlift, surveillance, and even gunships.
This iconic aircraft is not only a mainstay of the U.S. military, but also attracts interest from other countries around the world.
Mr. Maher explained the process of selling “Hercules” abroad.
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”Much of that scrutiny is being conducted by the State Department. There are several pre-approved configurations. We may engage in so-called direct commercial sales to certain customers. This is actually a commercial contract, but most often a sale to a foreign military. So we sell to US customers, but we sell to foreign customers in whatever configuration they choose. ”
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Maher also commented on the long lifespan of the aircraft, telling Alworth, “Many of these aircraft were built early.” [19]The 1960s continues to move through time.”
“They’ve gotten even better since then,” he added.
He mentioned how Lockheed Martin is keeping these aircraft in the air while keeping them adaptable to changing times.
”Amazingly, we have a very robust sustainment operation that ensures we produce parts, features, and evolutions and what these aircraft can do to stay relevant over time. . ”
“Even though so much time has passed, this aircraft remains the only fully capable aircraft that can perform continuously,” he added.
