Lockheed RC-130 Hercules

The Lockheed RC-130 Hercules are retired variants of the C-130 Hercules designed for photographic or electronic reconnaissance missions. They include the C-130A-II electronics reconnaissance version flown by the 7407th Combat Support Wing, converted from ten C-130A aircraft, and the RC-130A photo reconnaissance version, of which one was converted from a TC-130A and fifteen were built new. The C-130B-II was a further electronic reconnaissance version, converted from fifteen C-130B aircraft and later redesignated RC-130B, all of which were converted back to C-130B standard. Two JC-130A aircraft were fitted with the Battlefield Illumination Airborne System as the RC-130S for night search and rescue. On 2 September 1958 a C-130A-II was shot down after it strayed into Soviet airspace on a reconnaissance flight along the Turkish-Armenian border.