New aircraft lands at Youngstown Air Reserve Station

VIENNA, Ohio (WKBN) – The Youngstown Air Reserve Station is getting new planes.

The first of eight C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft landed safely on Tuesday afternoon. Major General Melissa Coburn, of the 22nd Air Force, was the pilot who landed the plane.

This is the first of C-130Js to be delivered over the next three years. They’re being built by Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Georgia.

“As you begin to see the C-130J Hercules fly over your community, remember the world-class airmen who serve and train and fly every day to ensure mission success in our nation’s defense,” said Colonel Mike Maloney, 910th commander.

“The arrival of the C-130Js is not just an upgrade in our capabilities but a testament to the hard work and perseverance of our team,” Coburn said.

In December 2022, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall selected YARS as the preferred location to replace its eight C-130Hs with eight C-130Js. The new C-130Js are valued at approximately $109.75 million per aircraft, with a total investment of approximately $878 million.

The delivery of these new planes ensures that the 2,000 people who work at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station will continue to be employed. They first started flying C-130s here in 1981, but it has been 30 years since the station has seen a new plane.

Those at the airbase say they are needed because the 910th has maintained the Department of Defense’s only large area, fixed-wing aerial spray capability to eliminate disease-carrying an pest insects since 1992.

After the plane landed Tuesday, there was a ceremony where various people spoke.

Check back here for updates on this developing story.

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