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WASHINGTON, May 30, 2025 – The IAM Union and over 70 members of Congress are leading the charge on Capitol Hill to support strong funding and production levels for the C-130J Program in Fiscal Year 2026. IAM Local 709 members at Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Ga., proudly build the aircraft.
A bipartisan letter to House appropriators calling for robust Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) funding for the C-130J Super Hercules program has secured the support of 77 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Led by Reps. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), David Scott (D-Ga.), and Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), the letter urges the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee to continue investing in the C-130J, the only U.S.-manufactured military airlift currently in production.
The letter recommends the following additions to the FY26 Defense Appropriations bill:
+8 C-130J aircraft for the Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)
+3 to +5 KC-130J aircraft for the Navy Reserve (USNR) to continue the C/KC-130T recapitalization
+2 LC-130J ski-equipped aircraft for the ANG
+2 KC-130J aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps to replace operational losses
+$100 million for fleetwide Diminishing Manufacturing Sources (DMS)
+$71 million for non-recurring engineering for the ANG’s LC-130J variant
“The C-130J is the only U.S.-made airlift currently in production, and a stable and efficient production line is vital in supporting current and future Department of Defense and allied nation airlift requirements,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “The C-130J production line provides for thousands of high-skilled IAM Union jobs and supports more than 27,000 jobs across its nationwide supply chain.”
The IAM Union applauds the growing bipartisan support and strongly encourages all members of Congress to join in securing the future of this critical national security asset.
Read the complete letter here.
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
