The
Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine
turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by
Lockheed, now
Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared
runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop,
medivac, and cargo transport aircraft. The versatile
airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a
gunship (
AC-130), for
airborne assault,
search and rescue, scientific research support, weather reconnaissance,
aerial refueling,
maritime patrol, and
aerial firefighting. It is now the main
tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. Over forty models and variants of the Hercules, including a civilian one marketed as
Lockheed L-100, operate in more than sixty nations.