This article is published in Aerospace Daily & Defense Report part of Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN), and is complimentary through Mar 09, 2026. For information on becoming an AWIN Member to access more content like this, click here.
SINGAPORE—Connectivity provider Gogo is mounting a push to outfit some of the hundreds of C-130s with a new rear hatch to enable in-flight satellite links for special forces and other uses.
The company says it has secured U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command T-1 certification for its roll-on/roll-off hatch design that facilitates, for instance, Ku-band via SES Intelsat satellites, and later should allow Ka-band using ViaSat’s Global Express system, says Ben Massey, senior vice president of government sales at Gogo’s SD Government unit.
The hatch can replace the existing one in about 30 min. and only requires onboard power to operate. Users can then plug in whatever systems they need to use the beyond-line-of-sight link to get mission updates or other information, Massey said.
Operators can integrate whatever cryptographic equipment they want, for instance, to ensure secure links.
Some customers may choose to keep the hatch installed while others may buy just a few to share across their C-130 fleet. Massey said the system will likely be particularly attractive for services using their C-130 in multi- or special-mission roles.
The company is in late-stage discussions with potential users and hoping to secure deals with two to three soon, Massey indicated. Customers could buy the hatch directly or as part of their Foreign Military Sales process, if that is how they procure the airlifter.
The approval, the company said in a statement, clears the use of the system by the U.S. and others, naming Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
The company said the approval also clears use of the system on C-130Js in the Block 6 and Block 8 standards and C-130Hs. It should also ease approvals on other C-130s, it noted.
Airbus has signaled it is interested in providing a similar type of in-flight connectivity on its A400M military transport. Massey called the platform “a good candidate,” noting the larger hatch would make facilitating different satellite links even easier.
Related Content
