Inside Lockheed Martin’s ‘Hercules’ plant where a crucial piece of American hardware is born

As China continues to ramp up its military spending, American aerospace company Lockheed Martin is focusing on advanced technology.

FOX Business went inside Lockheed Martin's Marietta, Ga., plant, the home of the iconic C-130 "Hercules." 

The aircraft, which has spanned American military history with a wide range of capabilities since 1954, has had an impact on military aviation as well as an economic impact on Georgia from its production.

Over the 70 years, Lockheed Martin has produced 2,700 of the "Hercules" or "Herc," with nearly half remaining in service.

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Lockheed Martin Director of Production Operations Kevin Maher spoke with Madison Alworth and shed light on the success of the aerospace company's workforce.

"When you're working, and the guy on your right or the lady on your left are operating that aircraft, it really brings a different sense of importance and criticality to the quality requirements on the aircraft," he said. 

"I think Americans build things extremely well. I really do," he added. 

The aerospace company is currently producing the C-130J "Super Hercules" model, of which more than 540 aircraft have been delivered to 22 countries, in eight variants with a wide range of capabilities tailored to specific missions. According to the manufacturer, the C-130J can carry up to 46,700 pounds, has a range of 2,160 nautical miles and reaches a maximum cruise speed of 365KTAS (knots true airspeed) or 420 mph. 

The FOX Business reporter also pointed out the aircraft's ability to take off and land on short and rough runways. 

"Let me put that in context for you. A commercial runway is roughly 10,000 feet. These guys just need hundreds of feet to land or take off. And they can do it in dirt, in a field, you name it." 

Lockheed Martin Marietta V.P. and General Manager Rod McLean also weighed in on the uniqueness the "Hercules" provides with its many mission capabilities.

"The way that [it] is built, to provide, to fly fast enough to refuel fighter jets and slow enough to refuel helicopters to be able to land on 3000-foot runways, is what makes this aircraft so unique."

Along with its aerial refueling capabilities, the C-130 provides a platform for missions such as tactical airlift, surveillance and even a gunship.  

The iconic aircraft is not just the mainstay in the U.S. military but attracts interest from other countries across the world. 

Maher explained the process of selling the "Hercules" to foreign countries. 

"To a large extent, that vetting is done by the State Department. We'll have some configurations that are approved in advance. We have the capability with some customers to do what we would call a direct commercial sale. It's really a commercial contract, but in most situations, it's a foreign military sale. So we'll sell to the U.S. customer, and they will sell, you know, to the foreign customer whichever configuration they choose."

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Maher also commented on the aircraft's longevity, telling Alworth that "there's a number of these aircraft that were made in the early [19]60s that continue to operate even after all that time". 

"They've only gotten better since then," he added. 

He touched on how Lockheed Martin manages to keep these aircraft up in the air while keeping them up to date with the changing times. 

"Amazingly enough, we've got a very robust sustainment operation that makes sure that we're producing the parts and the capabilities and the evolution and what these aircraft can do over time to keep it relevant." 

"Even though so much time has passed, it's still really the only aircraft that has the full capability to do what it continues to do," he added.