US Sen. Sherrod Brown sponsors bill to update C-130s at YARS
VIENNA — Legislation aimed at modernizing the nation’s fleet of C-130H cargo and troop transport planes, co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, could bode well for the future of the 910th Airlift Wing, which flies C-130s out of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station.
The C-130s need upgrades to meet federal and international standards by 2020 in order to continue said Brown, chairman of Senate’s Air Force Caucus.
He said 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 also flown by Ohio Air National Guard’s 179th Airlift Wing in Mansfield.
The C-130H plays a vital role in the nation’s defense and emergency response capabilities and is critical to Ohio jobs. With more than 260 C-130s in operation, 16 of which are in Ohio, it only makes sense to modernize the existing fleet to ensure it will continue flying for decades to come, Brown, D-Cleveland, said.