“Anywhere, Anytime”. For USAF MC-130J Commando II aircrews it’s more than operational doctrine – it’s a way of life. These Special Operations Command aircraft fly covert missions, either alone or with other aircraft, under the cover of night or in low visibility conditions, refueling AFSOC (US Air Force Special Operations Command) helicopters and CV-22 Ospreys, and supporting teams of Special Forces (SOF) in “politically sensitive” or hostile areas.
For their “dark” missions, the ability to land in the middle of nowhere on sketchy fields that any resemblance to a runway is…completely coincidental has become second nature to Commando II crews. The video below is the proof.
Aircraft of this type do many other things, by convention secret. Equipped with an “advanced technology digital cockpit for two-man flight, fully integrated navigation systems with dual inertial system and GPS, aerial refueling capability and integrated self-protection systems, the MC-130J in addition to infiltration/removal or aerial refueling of Special Forces in “hot” zones have as their secondary mission the dropping of propaganda leaflets. It sounds simple, but over hostile territory nothing is simple.
