C-130 Hercules

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft that entered United States Air Force service in 1956 and, as of the mid-2020s, remains the longest continuously produced military aircraft in history, with more than 2,700 built and the type flown by over sixty nations. Lockheed named the aircraft Hercules after the Greek mythological hero celebrated for his strength and endurance, and its adaptable airframe has also been built into gunship, aerial refueling and search-and-rescue variants over its long production run, beyond its core role in troop transport, medical evacuation and cargo hauling. The Hercules has served in essentially every major conflict and humanitarian relief operation involving the United States and its allies since the late 1950s, valued above all for the reliability and short-field performance that let it operate from airstrips too small or rough for most other large military aircraft.