Assembly of the first Lockheed Martin LM-100J commercial freighter aircraft has moved into a new phase, with the start of wing production in Marietta, which is home to the C-130J final assembly line. Other structural parts are in production at the company’s Meridian and Clarksburg facilities.

The LM-100J is the civil-certified version of the C-130J tactical airlifter and an updated version of the L-100 (or L-382) cargo aircraft.

Lockheed Martin submitted a Program Notification Letter to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in January 2014, for a type design update for the Lockheed Martin Model L-382J airplane, a civil-certified variant of the C-130J to be marketed as the LM-100J. The LM-100J is expected to make its first flight in 2017, then enter into an FAA certification phase. 

The LM-100J is billed as a commercial multi-purpose air freighter capable of reaching austere locations worldwide and performing multiple missions, from fire fighting to medevac to VIP transport. It can operate from short, unprepared airfields without ground support equipment.

More than 100 L-100s, the commercial variant of the first-generation C-130, were produced from 1964-1992.

ASL Aviation Group signed a letter of intent to buy up to 10 LM-100Js in 2014.