LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Kentucky Air National Guard is taking aviation to new heights by introducing state-of-the-art avionics.
Two new planes are now part of the 123rd Airlift Wing family, which landed Saturday morning in Louisville.
For the first time in its history, the military unit is undergoing an entire fleet conversion.
"Today we welcome the arrival of the C-130J Super Hercules," said Col. Bruce Bancroft during a ceremony introducing two of the transport aircraft.
The C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport plane replacing Louisville's Air National Guard's eight H-model aircraft that were built in 1992.
Bancroft said it'll support "thousands of pounds of additional combat resupply for our war fighters on every single sortie, that's thousands of pounds of additional food, water shelter, blankets and relief equipment."
Inside one of two new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft that arrived at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, KY, Saturday, November 6, 2021.
Gov. Andy Beshear was also in attendance for the historic moment.Â
"Our Kentucky Air Guard is always ready to step up and to serve, from Operation Desert Storm to the response after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that took a friend of mine to multiple deployments to Afghanistan," Beshear said. "The Kentucky National Guard units have provided America's fighting forces with the agility and supplies to meet our goals."
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell joined Beshear and shared how getting the planes took a bit of piloting.
"The competition for these planes was intense," said McConnell. "Not only did you have to do your part, but I had to try and do my part along with the help of my other colleagues in the delegation."
Kentucky is one of four states to receive the C-130J model.
The last of the H-models departed Louisville in September to make way for the J-models.
It'll take about 11 months before all eight new planes are replaced and on base.
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