Overview
- The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron confirmed the C-130J is being flown to Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge for a center wing box replacement and associated maintenance.
- Marshall estimates the work will take 10–14 months, indicating the aircraft will likely sit out next year’s show season while the team uses a substitute transport for logistics.
- The center wing box is the primary structural section joining the wings to the fuselage and is a lifed component that must be replaced to preserve airworthiness after heavy use.
- Scope of the visit includes routine maintenance plus a full paint strip and repaint in the Blue Angels livery, with the aircraft currently assessed as airworthy and safe to ferry.
- Marshall has completed nearly 80 C-130 wing-box replacements since the 1970s and was designated by Lockheed Martin in 2024 as the first authorized Centre of Excellence for this work.