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The HC-130 Hercules is a long range surveillance and transport, fixed-wing aircraft that effectively serves Coast Guard search & rescue; enforcement of laws and treaties; (including illegal drug interdiction); marine environmental protection; and International Ice Patrol over the North Atlantic as well as cargo and personnel transport and military readiness.
HC-130s can exceed 2,600 nautical miles in low-altitude filght with a mission endurance of up to 14 hours. Inertial Navigation Systems, Omega, Loran-C, Global Positioning System (GPS), and radar are guidance aids that enhance the HC-130's effectiveness during long-range maritime patrols. They are also equipped with scanner windows and a ten-tube flare launch system.
Workhorse of Coast Guard, the four engine turboprop Hercules
is manufactured by Lockheed-Martin Company in Marietta, Georgia.
