19 November 2019: The LM-100J commercial freighter by Lockheed Martin has received its type design update certification from the Federal Aviation Administration on 15th November 2019. This particular FAA certification permits the LM-100J to operate from any commercial airfield in the world.
Lockheed Martin has stated that it would update the current FAA A1SO type certificate in 2014 for its Model L-382J aircraft to be marketed as the LM-100J, a civil-certified production variant of the military proven C-130J Super Hercules.
The Lockheed Martin's LM-100J is the modernised version of the L-100 freighter (Lockheed Model 382). Over 100 L-100s were made from 1964-1992 at the then Lockheed-Georgia Co., facility in Marietta, Georgia, and many of these aircraft continue to support global operations today.
"Like its military counterparts, the worldwide L-100 fleet is a much tasked and much relied upon. As this fleet reaches the end of its operating life, customers told us the only replacement for the L-100 is an LM-100J," said Rod McLean, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin's Air Mobility & Maritime Missions line of business.
"This updated FAA certification enables the LM-100J to literally go anywhere in the world to fulfill the unique and demanding requirements it was built to support," McLean added. "As the LM-100J enters into service, we are proud that it will continue to exemplify and expand the already unmatched capabilities of the C-130J Super Hercules family."