Alaska Air National Guard accepted the first HC-130J Combat King II, becoming the first US Air Guard unit to receive the aircraft, Lockheed Martin announced. Planning to take delivery of a total four aircraft, the Alaska Guard will replace its FHC-130Ps with HC-130J. The new aircraft will act as aerial refuelers for the Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopter. HC-130J is the only dedicated fixed-wing personnel recovery platform in the Air Force inventory. 

The HC-130J supports missions in all-weather and geographic environments and is able to carry out missions such as airdrop, airland, helicopter air-to-air refueling and forward-area ground refueling missions as well as humanitarian assistance operations, disaster response, security cooperation/aviation advisory, emergency aeromedical evacuation, and noncombatant evacuation operations..