AC-130 Hercules departs for the Philippines. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force
The Philippine Air Force 220th Airlift Wing’s Lockheed C-130s are set for an upgrade, the service said. Taking a cue from the Air Force’s Flight Plan 2028, the wing is ready to give the cockpit an upgrade, moving away from analog. The C-130s are set to get a glass cockpit, with touchscreen displays.
“Selected members of the Requirement Definition Technical Working Group visited the wing’s headquarters in Brigadier General Benito N Ebuen Air Base, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, to assess the avionics maintenance system of the three C-130 aircraft,” the Air Force said. “The visit was meant to conduct aircraft configuration assessment, discuss the mission requirements and obsolescence issues, and identify the requirements needed for training and maintenance.”
According to the Air Force, the working group also performed a survey inside the wing’s hangar. It was particularly interested in looking at the avionics and aerospace ground equipment shops, checking to see if the platforms would be compatible once modified. From the survey, the Office of Directorate for Logistics and 470th Maintenance Support Group evaluated the proposed enhancement.
“The completion of this project will definitely boost the Wing’s airlift operations now that the demand for the utilization of our C-130 aircraft in the international airspace is very eminent,” the Air Force said. “This upgrade is considered a welcome development of the wing’s ongoing modernization program.”