The Lockheed C-130 Hercules has been “the” tactical transport aircraft of the United States Air Force and many of its allies and partners for decades. Today, it is found in service with everything from the US Coast Guard to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, medevacing patients from Antarctica. The military airlifter fills the niche for tactical military transport that is smaller than strategic transports like the C-5M Super Galaxy, the C-17 Globemaster III, and the Airbus A400M Atlas but larger than helicopters or small tactical aircraft like the Airbus C295/CASA C-295.