Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/2012C130J/ — data as of July 2, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
AC/MC-130J
Budget Figures
- FY24
- $312.9M
- FY26
- $236.3M
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USASpending awards are reported on a rolling basis and the fiscal year does not close until September 30. why →
Program dossier
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Research dossiers exist for 50 of 326 programs — the top-50 programs by FY2026 request, ranked by dollar value. why →
What it is
- The AC/MC-130J program is a crewed special-operations aircraft modification line run by U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).
- It funds the rapid fielding of advanced strike and survivability capabilities for Special Operations Forces (SOF) AC-130J and MC-130J aircraft, which replace the retired AC-130U/H/W and MC-130E/P/H fleets.
- AC-130J "Ghostrider" aircraft perform strike missions, including close air support (CAS), air interdiction, and armed reconnaissance.
- MC-130J "Commando II" aircraft perform special-operations-peculiar mobility missions such as low-level infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of SOF, plus air refueling for SOF helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft.
- The U.S. Air Force procures and fields the basic C-130J aircraft, common support equipment, and Weapon System Trainers, while USSOCOM modifies those aircraft with mission systems integrated through the Special Mission System.
- Modifications for MC-130J include Airborne Mission Networking (AbMN) to connect into the Department of Defense's Joint All-Domain Command and Control construct, the Silent Knight Radar (SKR) enabling terrain following/terrain avoidance in contested operations, and a defensive countermeasures suite with integrated electronic warfare capability.
- MC-130J aircraft that receive the AbMN, terrain following/avoidance, and radio-frequency countermeasures modifications are designated with the popular name "Combat Talon III."
- Beginning in FY 2025, funding transitioned from P-1 Line Item 5000C13000 / C-130 Modifications into this AC/MC-130J line item, because USSOCOM only employs AC/MC-130J aircraft after retiring the remainder of the legacy C-130 fleets in FY 2023.
Why it matters
- Integrating and automating SOF mission systems is described as critical to recapitalizing the retired USSOCOM C-130 fleet, reducing required crew size, and making SOF more lethal, resilient, survivable, agile, and responsive.
- The line item also funds communications security and joint/coalition interoperability efforts, including cryptographic modernization and low-cost modifications to improve reliability, maintainability, mission effectiveness, and safety.
- For FY 2024, actual spending on the program totaled about $312.9 million (312,921 in USD thousands).
- The FY 2025 enacted amount was about $286.3 million (286,263 in USD thousands).
- The FY 2026 total request drops to about $236.3 million (236,312 in USD thousands), a decline from prior years.
- The FY 2026 discretionary request of about $236.3 million and the FY 2026 total request are the same figure.
- Cumulative funding across all prior years is reported at about $1,352.3 million (1,352.261 in USD millions).
Key players
- The program is funded through the Procurement, Defense-Wide account and organized under SOCOM.
- The USSOCOM Silent Knight Radar program office executed a 3-year Multiyear Procurement contract that stabilized the radar's price from FY 2021 through FY 2023, and awarded a 5-year Multiyear Procurement contract in FY 2024 to maintain a stabilized price, supporting a FY 2024 through FY 2028 procurement for the MC-130J.
Budget Line Items(workbook-cited)
Exhibit P-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Procurement, Defense-Wide | SOCOM | FY24 Actuals | $312.9M |
| Procurement, Defense-Wide | SOCOM | FY25 Enacted | $286.3M |
| Procurement, Defense-Wide | SOCOM | FY26 Disc. Request | $236.3M |
| Procurement, Defense-Wide | SOCOM | FY26 Total | $236.3M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
| Project | All Prior Years | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Element | $1.35B | $312.9M | $286.3M | $236.3M | $236.3M |
Program Narratives
Description— AC/MC-130J
The AC/MC-130J Line Item funds the rapid fielding of advanced strike and survivability capabilities for Special Operations Forces (SOF) AC-130J and MC-130J aircraft as modernized replacements for the retired AC-130U/H/W and MC-130E/P/H fleets. AC-130J "Ghostrider" aircraft perform strike missions, to include close air support (CAS), air interdiction, and armed reconnaissance missions. MC-130J "Commando II" aircraft perform SO-peculiar (SO-p) mobility missions, to include clandestine, or low visibility, single or multiship, low-level infiltration (infil), exfiltration (exfil), and resupply of SOF, by airdrop or airland and air refueling for SOF helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft, intruding politically sensitive or hostile territories. The United States Air Force procures and fields the basic C-130J aircraft, common support equipment, and Weapon System Trainers (WST). The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) modifies the basic C-130J aircraft and WSTs with mission systems that provide SO-p capabilities integrated through the Special Mission System, and procures standalone training devices for specialized SO-p mission training. Rapid fielding and incremental upgrades are used to integrate SOF mission systems onto the basic C-130J aircraft that provide SO-p strike and mobility capabilities, with the objective to integrate and automate aircrew responsibilities to reduce workload. For MC-130J, these SO-p capabilities include Airborne Mission Networking (AbMN) to connect into the Department of Defense Joint All-Domain Command and Control construct, provide data fusion and improved situational awareness. Additionally, integration of the Silent Knight Radar (SKR) enables integrated terrain following (TF) / terrain avoidance (TA) for infil/exfil in contested operations, and a defensive countermeasures (DCM) suite with integrated electronic warfare capability (EW) increases survivability through enhanced threat detection and response. MC-130J Commando II aircraft that receive AbMN, TF/TA, and RFCM SO-p modifications are designated with the popular name "Combat Talon III." Integrating and automating SOF mission systems that deliver these capabilities is critical to fielding SOF-capable AC-130J and MC-130J aircraft to recapitalize the retired USSOCOM C-130 fleet, reduce the required crew complement for the changing operational environment and allow SOF to be more lethal, resilient, survivable, agile, and responsive. This budget line item also funds AC/MC-130J efforts related to communications security and joint/coalition interoperability, such as cryptographic modernization and low-cost modifications (LCM) to improve reliability, maintainability, mission effectiveness, and safety. Beginning in FY 2025, funding transitioned from P-1 Line Item 5000C13000 / C-130 Modifications into P-1 Line Item 2012C130J / AC/MC-130J, since the USSOCOM only employs AC/MC-130J aircraft following retirement of the remainder of the legacy C-130 fleets in FY 2023.
Justification— AC/MC-130J
FY 2026 BASE PROGRAM JUSTIFICATION: Continues MC-130J Capability Release 2 consolidated modifications and AC-130J modifications. Procures four Special Mission Systems (SMS) kits for installation on AC/MC-130J consolidation modification line plus support costs. Supports technical risk reduction, consolidation of technical data, and modification for MC-130J mission systems which interface to the aircraft and each other through the SMS. Procures four Electronic Warfare Radio Frequency Countermeasures A Kits and four B Kits for installation on the AC/MC-130J aircraft plus, initial spares, simulator/training systems, program management administration other government costs, and diminishing manufacturing sources. The MC-130J kit procurement is focused on meeting the consolidated modification line installation schedule. Procures four airborne mission networking A kits for consolidated modification line installation on the MC-130J plus initial spares, diminishing manufacturing sources/technology refresh, simulator/training systems, and other governments cost. Procures four MC-130 SOF common terrain following/terrain avoidance Silent Knight Radar (SKR) A Kits and seven B Kits for consolidated modification line installation on the MC-130J aircraft plus initial spares, diminishing manufacturing sources/technology refresh, simulators/training systems, other government costs, and peculiar support equipment. Procures four AC/MC-130J DSU aircraft modification labor, simulators/training systems, government furnished equipment, and other government costs. Procures seven MC-130J Auxiliary Flight Deck Station (AFDS) aircraft kits, associated labor, and other government costs. Procures MC-130J Variable Speed Drogue (VSD) hardware and AC/MC-130J weight management. The USSOCOM Silent Knight Rader (SKR) program office executed a 3-year Multiyear Procurement (MYP) contract that stabilized the procurement price of the radar from FY 2021 through FY 2023. Based upon the success of this acquisition strategy, the SKR program office awarded a 5-year MYP contract in FY 2024 which maintains a stabilized procurement price of the radar. This budget request includes funding to support a FY 2024 through FY 2028 MYP for the SOF Common TF/TA SKR program for the MC-130J aircraft as well as associated training systems modifications. C-130 Low Cost Modifications (LCM) Program modifies AC/MC-130J aircraft with SO-p equipment to improve aircrew safety and suitability, tanker and refueling operations, navigations and communications systems and aircraft performance. The C-130 Simulator Block Upgrade (SBUD) Program will continue to modernize and modify AC-130J/MC-130J aircrew and maintenance training devices and capabilities by addressing concurrency, obsolescence, networking and simulator realism issues.
No follow-the-dollar view — this program's awards haven't been crosswalked at high confidence (flows cover 17 of 326 programs). why →