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VIENNA -- A Regional Chamber official on Tuesday lauded the work the Ohio congressional delegation did that should force the U.S. Defense Department to make C-130 upgrades a priority for the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna.
President Obama signed a defense funding authorization into law that contained a provision to prioritize special missions, including the one at the Vienna station, for airplane upgrades. The law requires Defense to report back to Congress by February about its upgrade plans.
"This law is a victory for us because it forces the Defense Department to act," said Chamber's military affairs director Vito J. Abruzzino. "It shows that our local efforts have paid off."
U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, have been urging the Air Force to replace the 910th's current fleet to ensure the unit can complete its missions safely, Abruzzino said.
Also promoting the project was the Regional Chamber's Eastern Ohio Military Affairs Commission, which Abruzzino said worked with local elected officials, consultants and national military groups to analyze detailed data and trends at other military bases.
"The Chamber and other area stakeholders have long been concerned about the legacy aircraft in Vienna. The fleet was state-of-the-art in 1989 but now faces significant parts and navigation technology issues," Abruzzino said.
Abruzzino said the current fleet of C-130s is still operating on analog rather than digital technology.
The local efforts included promoting the unique value of the 910th's dual roles of mission support and aerial spray, which Abruzzino said protects against emerging mosquito-borne threats like the Zika virus.
"We are the only Department of Defense aerial spray mission," said Abruzzino, noting the 910th recently went on missions as far as Puerto Rico.
With additional consideration given to cost efficiencies yielded by citizen-soldier Reserve Units, Abruzzino said the local Congressional delegation, including U.S. Rep. Timothy J. Ryan, D-Howland, demanded that the Vienna fleet be modernized with new C-130s.
The new C-130J units, or Super Hercules transports, were devised earlier in the decade by Lockheed Martin and are now in production. The upgrades from the older models include new engines, flight decks and other systems. The Hercules family of aircraft has been serving the military for more than 60 years.
Because of the provision, the Air Force may now develop a timetable to begin putting the new aircraft into military bases. The government signed a multi-billion dollar deal with Lockheed Martin to deliver 78 of the new C-130Js through the 2020s.
"These updates are key to maintaining Mahoning Valley jobs and supporting the ongoing missions performed by the men and women at Youngstown Air Reserve Station," Brown states in a news release. "We've been pushing for modernization of this fleet for years."
Portman said the Vienna base is a model for other air reserve stations, adding that a new fleet would allow the 910th's missions to operate effectively and safely.
gvogrin@tribtoday.com