The US Air Force (USAF) has completed a flight test of the first MC-130J Combat Shadow II special mission aircraft.

The flight forms part of a series of tests before scheduled delivery to the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) at Cannon Air Force Base in September this year.

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The MC-130J is based on the US Marines Corps KC-130J tanker and is capable of missions requiring clandestine single or multiship low-level aerial refuelling of the AFSOC.

The MC-130J aircraft features advanced multispectral sensors, expanded avionics, a modernised refuelling system and a combat system operator crew station.

Under the MC-130J contract, Lockheed Martin will develop 15 MC-130Js while the USAF can acquire up to 20 of the aircraft to replace its MC-130Es and MC-130Ps.

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