WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced his support for legislation that would support jobs at Mansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base (ANGB) and Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS). The bipartisan Air Force C-130H Fleet Modernization Act would give the Air Force flexibility to modernize its C-130H fleet – which in Ohio is flown from Mansfield’s 179th Airlift Wing and Youngstown’s 910th Airlift Wing– so it can continue performing national security and emergency response missions without a costly overhaul. To stay in operation, the fleet must be updated by 2020 to meet federal and international standards.

“The C-130H plays a vital role in our nation’s defense and emergency response capabilities and is critical to Ohio jobs,” Brown said. “With more than 260 aircraft currently in operation – and 16 in Ohio – it only makes sense to modernize our existing fleet to ensure it will continue flying for decades to come. That’s why I will continue fighting for the men and women of the Ohio Air National Guard. ”

The C-130H fleet is the U.S. military’s primary combat delivery aircraft, and has provided humanitarian assistance, precision airdrop, and tactical airlift missions across the globe for more than four decades. While National Guard units in 18 different states fly the aircraft, because of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and international airspace regulatory constraints, the fleet will be largely inoperable unless major upgrades are made by 2020. The proposed bill would allow the Air Force to use a less expensive communication and navigation overhaul without sacrificing safety and effectiveness.

The C-130 modernization bill was introduced by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) and, in addition to Brown, is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. John Walsh (D-MT), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Mark Begich (D-AK), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Mark Pryor (D-AR).

Ohio is home to more than 3,000 Air reservists, and has six Air Force bases including Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Air National Guard Bases at Mansfield, Columbus, Springfield, and Toledo as well as the Youngstown Air Reserve Station. Both the Air Force Research Lab and the Air Force Materiel Command are headquartered in Dayton at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

 

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