The 120th Airlift Wing is preparing to deploy airmen this spring to the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility, but it’s not expected to affect the unit’s conversion to the new C-130J aircraft set to begin this fall.

During the Feb. 4 City Commission meeting, Col. David Smith, 120th commander, said that they were preparing to deploy 144 airmen from the 120th around the end of May or early June through about September.

In October, 120th Vice Commander Lt. Col. Maureen Maphies told commissioners that they’d received a short notice tasking for an aviation package, which is the same deployment the unit is preparing for.

U.S. Africa Command is responsible for all U.S. military operations, exercises, and security cooperation on the African continent, its island nations and surrounding waters, except Egypt, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

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Construction is underway on some projects at the 120th in preparation for the conversion to the new aircraft.

The Montana Air National Guard was selected in 2023 for eight C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to replace the unit’s aging fleet of C-130H model aircraft.

The 120th transitioned from fighter jets to the C-130, the first of which arrived in Great Falls in 2014.

The first of the new aircraft are scheduled to arrive at the 120th in March 2026.

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According to the Montana Air National Guard, the C-130J models will create less noise pollution in the area than the current aircraft based on noise studies conducted in 2024.

Maphies said in October that 120th officials had visited Air National Guard units in Georgia and West Virginia that have recently converted to the C-130J to see their facilities, talk about lessons learned, challenges and looked at their maintenance complexes, which is a project the 120th is considering.

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The 120th will be converting facilities and infrastructure for the new aircraft beginning in October, including hangar remodels, repairs to flightline markings and tie-downs, construction of an unpaved runway and the remodel of airport fire department facilities. The 120th is also planning for a secondary entry control point to the base, Maphies said in October.

The Defense Department budget for military construction for the current fiscal year, which runs Oct. 1, 2024 through Sept. 30, 2025, includes $30 million for fuel facilities at the 120th.

The fuel facility is currently underway and is contracted to MEB Construction Group. The contract is administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to the 120th, which is overseeing the project from an end user perspective.

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Other projects, such as the unimproved landing zone are slated to begin between fiscal years 2027 and 2032, pending consultation, contracting and funding allocations, according to the 120th.

That unimproved landing zone, which has been discussed for years, will be located on the airport property, running parallel to existing runways, and leased to the guard, according to the 120th.

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The Montana Air National Guard is also in the process of acquiring 640 acres around Power for a drop zone, Smith told city commissioners in February. That is included in a bill currently being considered at the Legislature with an estimated $1.8 million included in the bill.

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According to the 120th, that project is slated to begin in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, 2025 running through Sept. 30, 2026.

Since the other military construction projects haven’t been awarded or congressionally approved, officials at the 120th said they don’t have final dollar values or timeframes yet.