Photo By Master Sgt. Jamie Spaulding | New York Senator Charles Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, exits and LC-130H...... read more read more
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STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, New York --New York Senator Charles Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, on Monday, April 22, called on the Air Force to finance the construction of new ski-equipped C-130s to replace the aging aircraft being flown by the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing.
Schumer made the remarks during a visit to Stratton Air National Guard Base outside Schenectady, where the 109th Airlift Wing is based.
The 109th Airlift Wing flies the LC-130H, the largest ski-equipped aircraft in the world, and support U.S. science efforts in both Antarctica and Greenland annually.
Schumer’s remarks came as he stood in front of an aircraft which was constructed in 1976 and was under repair.
The age of the aircraft makes it harder and harder to keep them flying, Schumer said. He urged the Air Force to allocate almost $300 million to purchase two new J series aircraft to replace the older models.
Keeping these aircraft flying is in the interest of every American because they enable researchers to conduct critical climate science, provide the U.S. military with the ability to reach anywhere in the Arctic, and are vital for rescue operations in polar regions, Schumer said.
“I am calling on the Air Force to say that replacing Stratton’s aging polar airplanes must be a top priority,” Schumer said.
“The time has come, in fact it is overdue, to start securing the new aircraft so that these important polar missions can continue,” he added.
As the world’s leading economic and military power, the U.S. must have the ability to compete in the Artic and Antarctic, the senator said.
However, because of the age of the aircraft, only half the ten LC-130s assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing are normally operable, Schumer said.
Schumer flew to Stratton Air National Guard Base from Fort Drum, near Watertown, New York, and met with the wing commander, Col. Robert Donaldson and toured one of the wing’s LC-130s.
In a March 19, 2024, letter to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Schumer, and New York Sen. Kristin Gillibrand, called on the Air Force to finance the construction of C-130J models that could be converted into ski-equipped versions.
The C-130 J models feature a longer fuselage, more powerful engines, digital rather than analog avionics systems, and improved computers.
The 109th Airlift Wing has been conducting missions to support National Science Foundation research in Antarctica and Greenland for 30 years.
This year, the 109th will transport workers and materials to Summit Station on Greenland’s ice cap.
Summit Station is the only high-altitude, high-latitude, inland, year‐round observing station in the Arctic, and it is due to be rebuilt this summer.
Replacing the LC-130s, the 109th Airlift wing current flies has “widespread support,” Schumer said.
Northern Command supports new airplanes because of their essential Artic airlift mission, Schumer said.
“It’s no secret that both Russia and China want to dominate the Arctic, and one of the best things we have to prevent that from happening is the planes behind us,” the senator said.
And the National Science Foundation supports getting new planes because of the critical research they support, he added.
“Learning the secrets of what’s going on down there, and up there in the north and south poles, is vital to understanding climate change,” Schumer said. “Without these planes, much of that could not get done. “
| Date Taken: | 04.22.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2024 15:51 |
| Story ID: | 469160 |
| Location: | SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 228 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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