The HC-130 Combat King is a key US Air Force aircraft for inserting and extracting special forces inside conflict zones around the world that can also provide critical refueling capabilities for other aircraft.

The Combat King is a fixed-wing aircraft primarily designed to conduct recovery operations from austere airfields and denied territory -- namely combat search and rescue (CSAR) missions in hostile environments as well as the insertion and extraction of special forces.

The aircraft is an extended-range version of the C-130 Hercules transport.

HC-130 crews employ tactics that include incorporating no external lighting or communications and avoiding radar and weapon detection.

The HC-130 can fly in the day; however, crews normally fly at night at low to medium altitudes in contested or sensitive environments, both over land and over water.

HC-130s often perform tactical airdrops of special force teams, small bundles, zodiac watercraft or four-wheel drive all-terrain vehicles.

Drop zone objectives are done via personnel and equipment drops. Rescue bundles include illumination flares, marker smokes and rescue kits.

With a fuel capacity of over 34,069 liters, the aircraft has a maximum air speed of 316 knots at sea level, and can go up to 10,000 meters.

Refueling operations

The aircraft is also key to the US military's refueling efforts.

HC-130s can perform helicopter air-to-air refueling -- including at night, with blacked-out communication with up to two simultaneous helicopters.

Furthermore, the aircraft can execute forward area refueling point operations to support a variety of joint and coalition partners.

This capability allows US Air Force aircraft to prepare for their next mission without having to return to an established base. This is part of Agile Combat Employment, which emphasizes mobility even in hostile areas with little infrastructure.

In recent operations, the HC-130 has refueled the US Navy's E-2D Hawkeye tactical airborne early warning aircraft, enabling extra on-station time for E-2D crews to coordinate US responses to attacks from Iran and its proxy groups.

E-2Ds typically fly sorties lasting around four hours, with two and a half hours of that time being on station, according to The Warzone.

Aerial refueling enables missions lasting up to seven hours in total with five hours on station, the Navy has said in the past.