House passes amendment to protect the C-130H aircraft

The House of Representatives this morning passed an amendment to preserve the C-130H aircraft as part of the fiscal year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act.

The amendment was proposed by U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), a member of the House Armed Services Committee who represents the Air National Guard 139th Airlift Wing in St. Joseph, Missouri.

“I am glad to see the Air Force taking initiative to modernize the C-130H, but I am concerned that its plan does not move quickly enough,” Graves said. “By passing this amendment, which will expedite upgrades to the C-130H fleet, we can protect and preserve this aircraft for decades to come. I look forward to working with the Senate to see that this important provision gets passed into law.”

The Air Force recently started initiating a plan to move forward on modernizing its Air National Guard C-130 H-model fleet. Graves’ amendment will guarantee that all C-130H aircraft meet all airspace requirements by 2020.

“The C-130H has been a critical component of our military’s fighting force for over 40 years, providing tactical airlift support that is second to none in the world,” Graves said. “Modernizing this fleet will be vital toward maintaining the effectiveness of the Air National Guard, particularly the 139th Airlift Wing in St. Joe.”