The Nevada Air National Guard Base in Reno could see some upgrades to its fleet. It is hoping to replace its eight C-130H aircraft with the newer C-130J model. The current fleet is about 25 years old.
"They have a lot of hours on them and we have a difficult time coming up with maintenance parts at times in the supply chain and just with a new aircraft," Col. Jacob L. Hammons, 152nd Airlift Wing Commander said.
Nevada Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen joined California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris to write a letter to Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett, requesting the eight new planes for the base. The main reason is to help firefighting efforts throughout the west.
"They provide an integral role in firefighting and I want to make sure that we give them those resources to be able to support them," Cortez Masto, D-Nevada said. "We all are in this together. We all have to work together to address these horrific fires to save lives, to save land and property."
Cortez Masto says with wildfires burning larger and more frequently, the Air Guard needs the newer high-tech equipment.
"They're state of the art," Cortez Masto said. "I want to do everything that I can to make sure we are giving our men and women in uniform the latest tools and technology to do their job."
The C-130J models fly higher, faster and farther than the H models. They also require less room to take off and land. Hammons says they are also easier to maneuver and that they are safer.
"The C-130J, with it's better performance capability, better avionics, just being a newer air frame gives us a lot more safety when we're in those dangerous environments," Hammons said.
The Channel Islands Base in southern California already has a fleet of C-130J aircraft. Hammons says having the same planes in Reno would help the two Air Guard bases operate better together, as well as with the U.S. Forest Service, BLM and fire agencies from other states. He says crews carry out a lot of different missions, but none are quite like fighting fires.
"You're low to the ground, you're at heavy weight and you're at slow air speeds, all in a constrained environment where there is fire present," Hammons said. "Fighting fires is one of the most dangerous things that we do with these aircraft and with our aircrews. For me, as a commander, it's all about increasing that safety margin."
Hammons says the C-130 is a versatile plane and the 152nd Airlift Wing carries out a lot of different missions with them.
"We use these in our domestic capacity trying to fight fires, during hurricane flood response as wells as in a federal capacity when we deploy in order to support our nation's defense," Hammons said.  "We can hand cargo with them, passengers, we can drop paratroopers out the back of them, so extremely versatile aircraft that's been around since the 50s really."
13 air bases are in the running to replace their fleets. Only two or three of them will likely get the nod. Congress already approved the money in its last spending bill. The Air Force could make its final decision, later this year.
