Great Falls’ aviation and defense community is entering a new chapter as the Montana Air National Guard’s 120th Airlift Wing prepares for its transition to the C-130J Super Hercules.
A new $33 million petroleum, oil and lubricants facility is undergoing final testing and is expected to become fully operational in September. It is the first new construction dedicated to the wing’s C-130J conversion and will replace the Air Force’s last remaining underground fuel-storage system with modern, double-walled tanks and more efficient fueling equipment.
The transition also includes significant workforce preparation. About 30 maintenance airmen are scheduled to attend C-130J training this fall. Seventeen operations airmen have already completed training, another 20 are currently training, and the final aircrew is expected to begin training in December.
The fuel complex is part of a wider modernization effort. Wing leaders told The Electric that approximately $400 million in military construction is planned over the next several years. The first new aircraft are expected to arrive next spring.
For Guard members, veterans, military families, aviation professionals, and skilled-trades workers considering Great Falls, this investment is meaningful evidence of a community preparing for the future. It strengthens a major local institution while supporting the training, infrastructure, and long-term continuity needed for a modern aviation mission.
Read The Electric’s full report on the 120th Airlift Wing modernization.