Tech. Sgt. Howard Blair/U.S. Air Force/Wikimedia Commons
The United States military has been flying all manner of aircraft for more than a century. Every few years, something new and exciting takes to the sky. Still, while there are plenty of new models of aircraft being produced, several have been around for a long time with no clear end date in sight. The oldest military aircraft that's still in use is the legendary B-52 Stratofortress. However, no new ones have been produced since the early 1960s, leaving one plane as the oldest in service that's still in production.
The C-130 Hercules was first introduced to the United States Air Force in 1956, and they've been flying ever since. Unlike the B-52, C-130s are still being produced, as Lockheed continues to churn out C-130s at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility in Marietta, Georgia. The most recent Air Force acquisition, a special operations variant named MC-130J Commando II, rolled off the production line in January 2025, marking the final specialized Hercules model.
Still, while that model may be the last, the current production model, the C-130J Super Hercules, remains in active production. If you're wondering why the Air Force continues to operate a four-propeller transport aircraft that was introduced before color television was common, it's because they're highly adaptable and reliable. The Air Force has used C-130s for all kinds of missions, from transporting essential gear and troops to operating them like tankers to aerially refueling helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft with the MC-130 variant.
The longest-produced aircraft still in use has numerous capabilities
U.S. Air Force
The C-130 has been produced for over 70 years, and that's largely because it hasn't yet outlived its usefulness. While larger and more capable transport aircraft have come along, nothing has replaced the C-130, which is flown by 63 countries. Lockheed has produced more than 2,500 C-130s of multiple variants, many of which have served in combat, non-combat, humanitarian, and civilian roles. The C-130 is also the largest plane to land and take off from an aircraft carrier.
It's a reliable platform regardless of its mission, and it is incredibly varied. While many C-130s are used to transport personnel and equipment, several variants are tasked with specific missions. The KC-130 is equipped with a removable tank capable of holding 3,600 gallons of fuel. The HC-130 is a long-range search and rescue variant. The platforms operating today are all modernized and upgraded to current standards, so even the oldest aircraft in the inventory remain useful.
In 2015, the Air Force retired its then-oldest C-130 in the inventory. Dubbed the "Iron Horse," the plane amassed a total of 27,533 flying hours and had been in operation for 52 years. That's longer than the service life of an aircraft carrier, which is both impressive and a testament to how well the C-130 is built and maintained. As of this writing, the Air Force has no plans to retire the platform, so it's likely that the C-130 will continue flying for many years to come.
