<!DOCTYPE html><html itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Article"><head><meta charset="utf-8"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=2, user-scalable=yes"><meta name="description" content="It is a unique mission that only one unit in the Pentagon's portfolio is trained and equipped to execute."><meta name="author" content="Tyler Rogoway"><meta name="news_keywords" content="Air Spray,Modular Air Spray System,MASS,C-130,C-130H,910th Air Mobility Wing,Youngstown,Hurricane Harvey,Natural Disasters"><link rel="canonical" href="http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/14194/usaf-has-dispatched-its-air-sprayer-c-130s-to-texas-in-response-to-hurricane-harvey"><title>USAF Has Dispatched Its Air Sprayer C-130s To Texas In Response To Hurricane Harvey - The Drive</title><meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"><meta name="twitter:site" content="@thedrive"><meta property="og:locale" content="en_US"><meta property="og:site_name" content="The Drive"><meta property="og:type" content="article"><meta property="og:title" content="USAF Has Dispatched Its Air Sprayer C-130s To Texas In Response To Hurricane Harvey"><meta property="og:description" content="It is a unique mission that only one unit in the Pentagon&#39;s portfolio is trained and equipped to execute."><meta property="og:image" content="https://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/kahdah15dd.jpg?quality=85"><meta property="og:image:width" content="1024"><meta property="og:image:height" content="576"><meta property="og:url" content="http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/14194/usaf-has-dispatched-its-air-sprayer-c-130s-to-texas-in-response-to-hurricane-harvey"><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="57x57" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/apple-touch-icon-57x57.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="114x114" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/apple-touch-icon-114x114.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/apple-touch-icon-72x72.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/apple-touch-icon-144x144.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="60x60" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/apple-touch-icon-60x60.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="120x120" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/apple-touch-icon-120x120.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="76x76" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/apple-touch-icon-76x76.png" /><link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="152x152" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/apple-touch-icon-152x152.png" /><link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/favicon-196x196.png" sizes="196x196" /><link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/favicon-96x96.png" sizes="96x96" /><link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/favicon-32x32.png" sizes="32x32" /><link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/favicon-16x16.png" sizes="16x16" /><link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/favicon-128.png" sizes="128x128" /><meta name="application-name" content="The Drive"/><meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#FFFFFF" /><meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/mstile-144x144.png" /><meta name="msapplication-square70x70logo" content="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/mstile-70x70.png" /><meta name="msapplication-square150x150logo" content="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/mstile-150x150.png" /><meta name="msapplication-wide310x150logo" content="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/mstile-310x150.png" /><meta name="msapplication-square310x310logo" content="http://d254andzyoxz3f.cloudfront.net/fav/mstile-310x310.png" /><link rel="publisher" href="https://plus.google.com/113717923056943495239"><meta property="fb:pages" content="829419513804279"><link rel="amphtml" href="http://amp.timeinc.net/thedrive/the-war-zone/14194/usaf-has-dispatched-its-air-sprayer-c-130s-to-texas-in-response-to-hurricane-harvey?source=dam"><meta itemprop="keywords" content="Air Spray,Modular Air Spray System,MASS,C-130,C-130H,910th Air Mobility Wing,Youngstown,Hurricane Harvey,Natural Disasters"><meta itemprop="description" content="It is a unique mission that only one unit in the Pentagon&#39;s portfolio is trained and equipped to execute."><span itemprop="publisher" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Organization"><span itemprop="logo" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject"><meta itemprop="url" content="http://www.thedrive.com/images/the-drive_site-logo.png"></span><meta itemprop="name" content="The Drive"></span><meta itemprop="url" content="http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/14194/usaf-has-dispatched-its-air-sprayer-c-130s-to-texas-in-response-to-hurricane-harvey"><meta itemprop="author" content="Tyler Rogoway"><span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject"><meta itemprop="url" content="https://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/kahdah15dd.jpg?quality=85"><meta itemprop="height" content="100%"><meta itemprop="width" content="100%"></span><link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Source+Sans+Pro:300,300i,400,400i,700,700i|Source+Serif+Pro:400,700" rel="stylesheet"><link rel="stylesheet" href="https://d1l3153elin9uc.cloudfront.net/prod/styles.css?v=c99f715"><!-- Scriptless Handling Of Images --><noscript><style>.image-fade-in{opacity: 1 !important;}</style></noscript><script>var adSlotTargets = {};var adParams = {"ptype" : "content","zone" : "the-war-zone","ch" : "the-war-zone","sch" : "".split(',')};if (adParams.ptype === "main" && adParams.zone !== "homepage") {adParams.zone += "/main";}adSlotTargets.ptype = adParams.ptype;adSlotTargets.ch = adParams.ch;if (adParams.ptype === "content") {adSlotTargets.aid = "14194";adSlotTargets.ctype = "article";adSlotTargets.etype = "video";if (adParams.sch.length > 0) {adSlotTargets.sch = adParams.sch;}if ("910th-air-mobility-wing,air-spray,c-130,c-130h,hurricane-harvey,mass,modular-air-spray-system,natural-disasters,youngstown".length > 0) {adSlotTargets.tags = "910th-air-mobility-wing,air-spray,c-130,c-130h,hurricane-harvey,mass,modular-air-spray-system,natural-disasters,youngstown";}if ("".length > 0) {adSlotTargets.sponsor = "";}} else {if ("the-war-zone" === "homepage") {adSlotTargets.ptype = "homepage";adSlotTargets.ctype = "homepage";} else if ("the-war-zone" === "author") {adSlotTargets.ptype = "main";adSlotTargets.ctype = "main";} else if ("the-war-zone" === "shop") {adSlotTargets.ptype = "main";adSlotTargets.sch = "";adSlotTargets.make = "";adSlotTargets.model = "";adSlotTargets.year = "";} else {adSlotTargets.ptype = "channel";adSlotTargets.ctype = "main";}}if ("") {adSlotTargets.spons = "";}var TIA_CONFIG = {setGlobalTargeting: adSlotTargets,sitename: "thedrive",zone: adParams.zone,realvu: true};window.time_dfp = window.time_dfp || [];window.time_dfp.push(function() {window.time_dfp.init(TIA_CONFIG);});</script><script type="text/javascript">var _sf_startpt=(new Date()).getTime()</script><!-- Time Inc - Segment --><script type="text/javascript">!function(){var analytics=window.analytics=window.analytics||[];if(!analytics.initialize)if(analytics.invoked)window.console&&console.error&&console.error("Segment snippet included twice.");else{analytics.invoked=!0;analytics.methods=["trackSubmit","trackClick","trackLink","trackForm","pageview","identify","reset","group","track","ready","alias","debug","page","once","off","on"];analytics.factory=function(t){return function(){var e=Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);e.unshift(t);analytics.push(e);return analytics}};for(var t=0;t<analytics.methods.length;t++){var e=analytics.methods[t];analytics[e]=analytics.factory(e)}analytics.load=function(t){var e=document.createElement("script");e.type="text/javascript";e.async=!0;e.src=("https:"===document.location.protocol?"https://":"http://")+"cdn.segment.com/analytics.js/v1/"+t+"/analytics.min.js";var n=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];n.parentNode.insertBefore(e,n)};analytics.SNIPPET_VERSION="4.0.0";analytics.load("6iMTserUZoJIASV1XjA5b2slpPbxsWZk");window.segment = {"contentAuthorName":"Tyler Rogoway","contentCmsCategory":"The War Zone","contentCmsId":"14194","contentCmsSubCategory":null,"contentCmsTerms":["The War Zone","910th air mobility wing","air spray","c-130","c-130h","hurricane harvey","mass","modular air spray system","natural disasters","youngstown"],"contentCmsTags":"910th air mobility wing|air spray|c-130|c-130h|hurricane harvey|mass|modular air spray system|natural disasters|youngstown","contentContributorName":null,"contentFeaturedImage":"https://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/kahdah15dd.jpg?quality=85","contentHeadline":"USAF Has Dispatched Its Air Sprayer C-130s To Texas In Response To Hurricane Harvey","contentModifiedDate":"2017-09-08T19:50:04Z","contentPublishedDate":"2017-09-08T19:50:04Z","contentShownOnPlatform":"own","contentType":"article","path":"/the-war-zone/14194/usaf-has-dispatched-its-air-sprayer-c-130s-to-texas-in-response-to-hurricane-harvey","search":null,"timeIncApplication":"wordpress","timeIncBrand":"thedrive.com","title":"USAF Has Dispatched Its Air Sprayer C-130s To Texas In Response To Hurricane Harvey","url":"http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/14194/usaf-has-dispatched-its-air-sprayer-c-130s-to-texas-in-response-to-hurricane-harvey"};window.analytics.page(window.segment);}}();</script><script type="text/javascript" src="//s.skimresources.com/js/58287X1565894.skimlinks.js"></script><script>!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');fbq('init', '528833833933462');fbq('track', "PageView");</script><noscript><img src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=528833833933462&ev=PageView&noscript=1" alt="" height="1" width="1" style="display:none" /></noscript></head><body class="article-page the-war-zone-channel  contributor-channel  "><header class="page-header" id="nav"><a title="The Drive" class="page-logo" href="/"></a><nav class="page-header-nav"><ul><li><a class="page-header-nav-pinned podcast-storytelling-about-cars-and-transportation-nav-item--dark" href="/podcast-storytelling-about-cars-and-transportation">Car Radio Podcast</a></li><li><a class="page-header-nav-pinned motorcycles-nav-item--dark" href="/motorcycles">Motorcycles</a></li><li><a class="page-header-nav-pinned gear-up-nav-item--dark" href="/gear-up">Gear Up</a></li><li><a class="page-header-nav-pinned shop-nav-item" href="/shop">Shop</a></li><div class="navCategories"></div><li class="page-header-nav-dropdown"><a class="page-header-nav-more"> <i class="icon icon-dropdown"></i></a><div class="page-header-nav-dropdown-categories"><div class="arrow"></div><ul><li><a class="page-header-nav-pinned podcast-storytelling-about-cars-and-transportation-nav-item--dark" href="/podcast-storytelling-about-cars-and-transportation">Car Radio Podcast</a></li><li><a class="page-header-nav-pinned motorcycles-nav-item--dark" href="/motorcycles">Motorcycles</a></li><li><a class="page-header-nav-pinned gear-up-nav-item--dark" href="/gear-up">Gear Up</a></li><li><a class="page-header-nav-pinned shop-nav-item" href="/shop">Shop</a></li><li class="dropdown-page-header-message"><a class="page-header-message" href="/newsletter" target="_blank">Newsletter Signup</a></li></ul></div></li></ul></nav><ul class="page-header-tools"><li> <a class="page-header-message" href="/newsletter" target="_blank">Newsletter Signup</a> </li><li><ul class="page-header-social"><li><a class="page-header-social-link js-social-share-button icon icon-facebook-f" href="https://www.facebook.com/thewarzonewire" target="_blank" data-social-type="facebook"></a></li><li><a class="page-header-social-link js-social-share-button icon icon-twitter" href="https://twitter.com/thewarzonewire" target="_blank" data-social-type="twitter"></a></li><li><a class="page-header-social-link js-social-share-button icon icon-instagram" href="https://instagram.com/thewarzonewire/" target="_blank" data-social-type="instagram"></a></li><li><a class="page-header-social-link icon icon-rss" href="/rss/all"></a></li></ul></li><li><form class="page-header-search" action="http://search.thedrive.com" method="GET"><input type="hidden" name="site" value="thedrive" /><input class="page-header-search-field" type="text" id="page-header-search-field" name="q" placeholder = "search..."/><button class="page-header-search-button"><i class="icon icon-search"></i></button></form></li></ul></header><main itemprop="mainEntityOfPage"><!-- START OF article level tracking pixel--><div id="tracking-pixel--article" data-article-id="14194"></div><!-- END OF article level tracking pixel--><article id="article" class="article" itemprop="articleBody" ><div class="ad wide-ad" data-ad-type="wideAd" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/WPAdBlock"></div><div class="article-head  "><a href="/the-war-zone"><img src="/images/warzone-logo_high-contrast_dark-bg.png" class="channel-logo" /></a>  <h1 itemprop="headline" class="title">USAF Has Dispatched Its Air Sprayer C-130s To Texas In Response To Hurricane Harvey</h1><h2 class="dek">It is a unique mission that only one unit in the Pentagon&#039;s portfolio is trained and equipped to execute.&nbsp;</h2><div class="article-metadata"><a href="/author/tyler-rogoway">By Tyler Rogoway</a><span itemprop="datePublished" content="1504900204000" class="date">September 8, 2017</span><span itemprop="dateModified" content="1504900204000"/></div><div class="article-tags-wrapper"><ul><li><a href="/the-war-zone" class="article-tag">The War Zone</a></li><li><a href="http://search.thedrive.com/?site=thedrive&q=910th Air Mobility Wing" class="article-tag">910th Air Mobility Wing</a></li><li><a href="http://search.thedrive.com/?site=thedrive&q=Air Spray" class="article-tag">Air Spray</a></li><li><a href="http://search.thedrive.com/?site=thedrive&q=C-130" class="article-tag">C-130</a></li><li><a href="http://search.thedrive.com/?site=thedrive&q=C-130H" class="article-tag">C-130H</a></li><li><a href="http://search.thedrive.com/?site=thedrive&q=Hurricane Harvey" class="article-tag">Hurricane Harvey</a></li><li><a href="http://search.thedrive.com/?site=thedrive&q=MASS" class="article-tag">MASS</a></li><li><a href="http://search.thedrive.com/?site=thedrive&q=Modular Air Spray System" class="article-tag">Modular Air Spray System</a></li><li><a href="http://search.thedrive.com/?site=thedrive&q=Natural Disasters" class="article-tag">Natural Disasters</a></li><li><a href="http://search.thedrive.com/?site=thedrive&q=Youngstown" class="article-tag">Youngstown</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="hero-image"><div class="image-wrapper" style="padding-bottom: calc(576/1024 * 100%)"><img class="image-fade-in"alt=""src="http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=70&amp;w=1440&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F09%2Fkahdah15dd.jpg%3Fquality%3D85"srcset="http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=70&amp;w=1440&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F09%2Fkahdah15dd.jpg%3Fquality%3D85 1x,http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=70&amp;w=1920&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F09%2Fkahdah15dd.jpg%3Fquality%3D85 1.5x"onload="this.style.opacity=1"/><figcaption class="full-bleed-image-credit">USAF</figcaption></div></div><div class="article-social"><div class="article-social-container"><span class="article-social__share">SHARE</span><ul class="article-social__items"><li class="article-social__item"><a class="icon icon-twitter"data-social="twitter"href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2F14194%2Fusaf-has-dispatched-its-air-sprayer-c-130s-to-texas-in-response-to-hurricane-harvey%3Fxid%3Dtwittershare"target="_blank" rel="nofollow"title="Share on Twitter" aria-label="Share on Twitter"></a></li><li class="article-social__item"><a class="icon icon-facebook"data-social="facebook"href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2F14194%2Fusaf-has-dispatched-its-air-sprayer-c-130s-to-texas-in-response-to-hurricane-harvey%3Fxid%3Dfbshare"target="_blank" rel="nofollow"title="Share on Facebook" aria-label="Share on Facebook"></a></li><li class="article-social__item"><a class="icon icon-pinterest"data-social="pinterest"data-pin-do="buttonPin"data-pin-custom="true"href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2F14194%2Fusaf-has-dispatched-its-air-sprayer-c-130s-to-texas-in-response-to-hurricane-harvey%3Fxid%3Dpinterestshare"target="_blank" rel="nofollow"title="Share on Pinterest" aria-label="Share on Pinterest"></a></li><li class="article-social__item"><a class="icon icon-google-plus"data-social="google-plus"href="https://plus.google.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2F14194%2Fusaf-has-dispatched-its-air-sprayer-c-130s-to-texas-in-response-to-hurricane-harvey%3Fxid%3Dgplusshare"target="_blank" rel="nofollow"title="Share on Google Plus" aria-label="Share on Google Plus"></a></li><li class="article-social__item"><a class="icon icon-email"href="mailto:?subject=USAF%20Has%20Dispatched%20Its%20Air%20Sprayer%20C-130s%20To%20Texas%20In%20Response%20To%20Hurricane%20Harvey&amp;body=http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/14194/usaf-has-dispatched-its-air-sprayer-c-130s-to-texas-in-response-to-hurricane-harvey?xid=emailshare"target="_blank" rel="nofollow"title="Share via Email" aria-label="Share via Email"></a></li></ul></div></div><div class="articleFragment"><div class="author-module"><div class="authorPic" style="background-image:url('http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=50&amp;w=140&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2016%2F12%2Fthedrive-tyler-rogoway.png')" title="Tyler Rogoway"></div><div class="authorInfo"><div class="nameAndLink"><span class="authorName">Tyler Rogoway</span><a href="/author/tyler-rogoway" class="viewArticlesLink">View Tyler Rogoway's Articles</a></div><div class="socialLinks"><a class="authorSocialLink" href="http://www.twitter.com/Aviation_Intel"><span class="icon icon-twitter"></span>twitter.com/Aviation_Intel</a></div></div></div></div><div class="has-ad-column"><div class="ad-column"><div class="ad" data-ad-type="colAd"></div></div><div class="articleFragment paragraph"><p>C-130Hs from the Air Force Reserve’s 910th Airlift Wing are headed to Texas in response to Hurricane Harvey. The unit has a special aerial spraying capability that is going to be put to use to help with minimizing the impact of the brutal storm's aftermath. The aircraft and their crews are based out of Youngstown, Ohio and they are the only aerial spraying capable unit in the Air Force—a function few probably even realize the Pentagon has in its portfolio.</p></div><div class=related-inline><div class="arrow left"><i class="icon icon-arrow-previous"></i></div><div class="arrow right"><i class="icon icon-arrow-next"></i></div><div class="related-inline-inner"><div class="items"><div class="item"><span class="title"><a href="http://www.thedrive.com/news/14178/hurricane-irma-causes-traffic-jam-from-miami-to-tennessee-border" class="link">Hurricane Irma Causes Traffic Jam from Miami to Tennessee Border</a></span><span class="byline">By Caleb Jacobs</span><span class="text"> Posted in <a href="/news" class="channel">News</a></span></div><div class="item"><span class="title"><a href="http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/12083/watch-this-c-130j-become-engulfed-in-its-own-dust-storm-during-rough-field-ops" class="link">Watch This C-130J Become Engulfed In Its Own Dust Storm During Rough Field Ops</a></span><span class="byline">By Tyler Rogoway</span><span class="text"> Posted in <a href="/the-war-zone" class="channel">The War Zone</a></span></div><div class="item"><span class="title"><a href="http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/11709/lockheed-unveils-new-super-versatile-special-operations-c-130-variant" class="link">Lockheed Unveils New Super Versatile Special Operations C-130 Variant</a></span><span class="byline">By Tyler Rogoway</span><span class="text"> Posted in <a href="/the-war-zone" class="channel">The War Zone</a></span></div><div class="item"><span class="title"><a href="http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/7540/first-civilian-version-of-the-c-130j-super-hercules-rolls-off-the-assembly-line" class="link">First Civilian Version of the C-130J Super Hercules Rolls Off the Assembly Line</a></span><span class="byline">By Tyler Rogoway</span><span class="text"> Posted in <a href="/the-war-zone" class="channel">The War Zone</a></span></div><div class="item"><span class="title"><a href="http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/9940/the-usaf-finally-gives-its-ac-130w-gunship-the-big-gun-it-desperately-needs" class="link">The USAF Finally Gives Its AC-130W Gunship The Big Gun It Desperately Needs</a></span><span class="byline">By Joseph Trevithick</span><span class="text"> Posted in <a href="/the-war-zone" class="channel">The War Zone</a></span></div></div></div></div><div class="articleFragment paragraph"><p>The ability to spray large swathes of land or water with various chemicals can be used for multiple applications, including dispersing oil spills, destroying invasive vegetation, and controlling insect populations. The whole "chemtrail" crowd will probably be very concerned with the news that these aircraft will be heading to Texas, but their mission there is crystal clear.&nbsp;</p></div><figure class="figure " tabindex="1"><div class="figure-wrapper"><img itemprop="associatedMedia" class="figure-image" src="http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1504899748873-110512-f-po120-078.jpg" alt="" /><div class="credit">USAF</div><div class="caption-container"><p>910th Air Mobility Wing C-130H executing oil dispersal operations over water.&nbsp;</p></div></div><button class="gallery-button gallery-previous " title-"Previous" arial-label="Previous"><i class="icon icon-arrow-previous"></i></button><button class="gallery-button gallery-next " title-"Next" arial-label="Next"><i class="icon icon-arrow-next"></i></button><button class="gallery-button gallery-close" title="Close" arial-label="Close"><i class="icon icon-close"></i></button></figure><div class="articleFragment paragraph"><p>Because there is so much standing and heavily polluted water around Houston and other areas affected by the storm, insects populations are bound to explode, which poses a major health risk to the population of southeastern Texas and the first responders working to get the area back on its feet. Mosquitoes that can carry and transmit malaria, west nile virus, zika, and multiple types of encephalitis will be the target of the operation. Supposedly the C-130s will treat over six million acres of land while dispatched to the region, far more territory than in previous post-hurricane operations.&nbsp;</p><p>Four C-130Hs and 70 airmen should be arriving at Lackland AFB today and will immediately begin spraying operations. With recent night vision goggle training, Herkybird crews can safely spray at low-level around the clock, and considering that nighttime is when mosquitoes are most active, spraying at after the sun goes down makes the most sense.</p></div><figure class="figure " tabindex="1"><div class="figure-wrapper"><img itemprop="associatedMedia" class="figure-image" src="http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1504897494090-ada1414111.jpg" alt="" /><div class="credit">USAF</div><div class="caption-container"><p>The Modular Aerial Spray System installed in the cargo hold of a C-130.</p></div></div><button class="gallery-button gallery-previous " title-"Previous" arial-label="Previous"><i class="icon icon-arrow-previous"></i></button><button class="gallery-button gallery-next " title-"Next" arial-label="Next"><i class="icon icon-arrow-next"></i></button><button class="gallery-button gallery-close" title="Close" arial-label="Close"><i class="icon icon-close"></i></button></figure><div class="articleFragment paragraph"><p>Each C-130H equipped with a Modular Aerial Spray System (MASS) can spray a whopping 190,000 acres per day, although that is a maximum number and normal operations will likely be a little less aggressive.&nbsp;</p><p>According to the USAF:</p></div><div class="articleFragment"><blockquote class="blockquote"><p>"The 910th’s customized Modular Aerial Spray System is capable of a wide-variety of applications. For mosquito control, the system uses the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved and regulated material naled, which is not used in amounts large enough to cause any concern for human health, according to the EPA. The system disperses droplets small enough to land on a mosquito’s wing, using less than one ounce of naled per acre. That’s less than one shot glass for an area the size of a football field."</p></blockquote></div><figure class="figure " tabindex="1"><div class="figure-wrapper"><img itemprop="associatedMedia" class="figure-image" src="http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1504900634377-170104-f-po120-086.jpg" alt="" /><div class="credit">USAF</div></div><button class="gallery-button gallery-previous " title-"Previous" arial-label="Previous"><i class="icon icon-arrow-previous"></i></button><button class="gallery-button gallery-next " title-"Next" arial-label="Next"><i class="icon icon-arrow-next"></i></button><button class="gallery-button gallery-close" title="Close" arial-label="Close"><i class="icon icon-close"></i></button></figure><div class="articleFragment paragraph"><p>MASS is an entirely different system than the C-130's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modular_Airborne_FireFighting_System" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Modular Aerial Fire Fighting System (MAFS)</a>. Instead of blasting out short strings of slurry &nbsp;or water on fires, MASS atomizes the chemical compounds it is spraying and can cover a massive amount of territory with its two modular chemical tanks held in the C-130's cargo bay.&nbsp;</p><p>The 910th Air Mobility Wing has eight C-130H aircraft and one in reserve, and as of 2014 they have six MASS units. With <a href="http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/14129/fleeing-f-5-fighters-devastated-airports-and-packed-hangars-as-irma-slams-caribbean?iid=sr-link1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hurricane Irma</a> about to plow into what looks like all of Florida, their spraying capabilities will likely be needed there as well in the near future. Florida is already notorious for its mosquitoes, but once Irma dumps millions of gallons of water onto the state, rapid infestation is almost a certainty.&nbsp;</p></div></div><div itemprop="associatedMedia" class="video-youtube"><iframe class="video-youtube__video"src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lh3EZ5KJr_s?rel=0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div itemprop="associatedMedia" class="video-youtube"><iframe class="video-youtube__video"src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yihne_SnFEM?rel=0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div itemprop="associatedMedia" class="video-youtube"><iframe class="video-youtube__video"src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jQsOuPjVirs?rel=0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div class="has-ad-column"><div class="ad-column"><div class="ad" data-ad-type="colAd"></div></div><div class="articleFragment paragraph"><p>If anything else, this mission is <a href="http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/11709/lockheed-unveils-new-super-versatile-special-operations-c-130-variant?iid=sr-link4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">yet another reminder</a> of the ever increasing and downright bewildering list of missions the C-130 Hercules can be adapted to accomplish.</p><p>So if you live in Texas, don't be alarmed if you see and hear a big C-130 roaring by at very low level while dumping something into the air behind it. It's just the Air Force waging war on a microscopic level against an insect enemy.</p><p><em>Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com</em></p></div><div class="articleFragment"><div class="newsletter-signup the-warzone-wire"><span class="blurb">Don't forget to sign up</span><div class="newsletter-signup__image"></div><span class="email-blurb">Your Email Address</span><div class="signup-form"><form class="submission-form" action="//thedrive.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=228bd4d5416080e946054be51&amp;id=51665f3aba" method="post" target="_blank" novalidate><input type="email" value="" name="EMAIL" placeholder = "E-MAIL"><!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div style="position: absolute; left: -5000px;"><input type="text" name="b_228bd4d5416080e946054be51_51665f3aba" tabindex="-1" value=""></div><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" name="subscribe"></form></div></div></div></div><section class="related-content related-content--rich"><div class="title-message">MORE TO READ</div><ul><li class="related-article" style="background-image:url('http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&amp;w=860&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F09%2Fhurricane-irma-hero-image.jpg%3Fquality%3D85')"><a href="/news/14178/hurricane-irma-causes-traffic-jam-from-miami-to-tennessee-border" class="linkable"><div class="related-flag">RELATED</div><div class="title">Hurricane Irma Causes Traffic Jam from Miami to Tennessee Border</div><div class="dek">Residents were instructed to evacuate the area &quot;while [they] have a chance.&quot;</div><div class="read-now">READ NOW</div></a></li><li class="related-article" style="background-image:url('http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&amp;w=860&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F07%2Fkhadha52621.jpg%3Fquality%3D85')"><a href="/the-war-zone/12083/watch-this-c-130j-become-engulfed-in-its-own-dust-storm-during-rough-field-ops" class="linkable"><div class="related-flag">RELATED</div><div class="title">Watch This C-130J Become Engulfed In Its Own Dust Storm During Rough Field Ops</div><div class="dek">The C-130 is one hardy cargo hauling beast.&nbsp;</div><div class="read-now">READ NOW</div></a></li><li class="related-article" style="background-image:url('http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&amp;w=860&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F06%2Fkhadhah6662.jpg%3Fquality%3D85')"><a href="/the-war-zone/11709/lockheed-unveils-new-super-versatile-special-operations-c-130-variant" class="linkable"><div class="related-flag">RELATED</div><div class="title">Lockheed Unveils New Super Versatile Special Operations C-130 Variant</div><div class="dek">The legendary C-130 family of aircraft keeps growing, and its newest variant is the most versatile yet.</div><div class="read-now">READ NOW</div></a></li><li class="related-article" style="background-image:url('http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&amp;w=860&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F02%2Fvvvbg1.jpg%3Fquality%3D85')"><a href="/the-war-zone/7540/first-civilian-version-of-the-c-130j-super-hercules-rolls-off-the-assembly-line" class="linkable"><div class="related-flag">RELATED</div><div class="title">First Civilian Version of the C-130J Super Hercules Rolls Off the Assembly Line</div><div class="dek">The Super Hercules is finally available to the public.</div><div class="read-now">READ NOW</div></a></li><li class="related-article" style="background-image:url('http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&amp;w=860&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F05%2Fhdhhd525.jpg%3Fquality%3D85')"><a href="/the-war-zone/9940/the-usaf-finally-gives-its-ac-130w-gunship-the-big-gun-it-desperately-needs" class="linkable"><div class="related-flag">RELATED</div><div class="title">The USAF Finally Gives Its AC-130W Gunship The Big Gun It Desperately Needs</div><div class="dek">The service did not originally plan to put the hard-hitting 105mm howitzer on newer gunships, but has since made the iconic weapon a top priority.</div><div class="read-now">READ NOW</div></a></li><li class="nativo-related-ad"><div class="ad" data-ad-type="nativoRelatedAd"></div></li><li class="nativo-related-ad"><div class="ad" data-ad-type="nativoRelatedAd"></div></li></ul></section><div class="clear"></div><div class="expanding-ad-wrapper expanded-ad"><div itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/WPAdBlock" class="expanding-ad"><div class="ad" data-ad-type="expandingAd"></div></div></div></article><!--SPOTIM CONVERSATIONS MODULE --><div data-spotim-module="recirculation" data-spot-id="sp_JjtET6Vo"></div><script src="https://recirculation.spot.im/spot/sp_JjtET6Vo" async data-spotim-script="recirculation"></script><div itemprop="comment" data-social-reviews=true id="spot-im-frame-inpage" data-post-id="article_14194"></div></main><footer class="footer footer__border" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/WPFooter"><div class="flex footer__content"><div class="flex flex-item footer__item shop-image"><h2 class="flex-item footer__item-header">Shop the drive</h2><p class="flex-item footer__item-dek">Tools to help you design, research and <br /> find the right car for you.</p><a class="flex-item btn btn--sm footer__item-button" href="/shop" target="_blank">SHOP</a></div><div class="flex flex-item footer__item newsletter-image"><h2 class="flex-item footer__item-header">Sign up for our newsletter</h2><p class="flex-item footer__item-dek">Technology, performance and design <br /> delivered to your inbox.</p><a class="flex-item btn btn--sm footer__item-button" href="/newsletter" target="_blank">SIGN UP</a></div></div></div><div class="flex flex--column footer__logo"><div class="flex-item footer__logo-item"><a href="/"><img class="footer__logo-image" src="https://d1l3153elin9uc.cloudfront.net/images/the-drive_site-logo.png" alt="the drive site logo"></a></div><div class="flex-item footer__logo-item"><ul class="footer-social"><li><a class="icon icon--circled icon-facebook-f" href="https://www.facebook.com/thedrive" target="_blank" data-social-type="facebook"></a></li><li><a class="icon icon--circled icon-twitter" href="https://twitter.com/thedrive" target="_blank" data-social-type="twitter"></a></li><li><a class="icon icon--circled icon-instagram" href="https://instagram.com/thedrive/" target="_blank" data-social-type="instagram"></a></li><li><a class="icon icon--circled icon-pinterest" href="https://www.pinterest.com/thedrive0042/" target="_blank" data-social-type="pinterest"></a></li><li><a class="icon icon--circled icon-rss" href="/rss/all"></a></li></ul></div></div><div class="flex footer__border footer__links"><div class="flex-item footer__links-container"><ul class="flex footer__links-list"><li><a href="/team">The Drive Team</a></li><li><a href="https://subscription.timeinc.com/storefront/privacy/thedrive/generic_privacy_new.html?dnp-source=E">Privacy Policy</a></li><li><a href="https://subscription.timeinc.com/storefront/privacy/thedrive/generic_privacy_new.html?dnp-source=E#california">Your California Privacy Rights</a></li><li><a href="https://subscription.timeinc.com/storefront/privacy/thedrive/privacy_terms_service.html">Terms of Service</a></li><li><a href="http://subscription-assets.timeinc.com/prod/assets/themes/magazines/default/template-resources/html/legal/ti-corp-behavioral.html">Ad Choices</a></li><li><a href="mailto:feedback@thedrive.com">Contact Us</a></li></ul></div><div class="flex-item footer__copyright"><span class="footer__copyright-text">&copy; <script>document.write(new Date().getFullYear())</script> <a style = "text-decoration: none" href="http://www.timeinc.com/" itemprop="copyrightHolder">Time Inc.</a> All Rights Reserved<span id="adTrigger">.</span></span></div></div><div class="page-footer-end"></div></footer><script type="text/javascript" src="https://d1l3153elin9uc.cloudfront.net/prod/scripts.js?v=c99f715"></script><script async type="text/javascript" src="https://tia.timeinc.net/timeinc/tia.min.js"></script><script type='text/javascript'>var _sf_async_config = {};/** CONFIGURATION START **/_sf_async_config.uid = 61351;_sf_async_config.domain = 'thedrive.com';_sf_async_config.useCanonical = true;_sf_async_config.sections = 'The War Zone';/** if there is a byline, provide it **/if ('Tyler Rogoway') {_sf_async_config.authors = 'Tyler Rogoway';}/** CONFIGURATION END **/(function() {function loadChartbeat(){ window._sf_endpt = (new Date()).getTime(); var e = document.createElement('script'); e.setAttribute('language', 'javascript'); e.setAttribute('type', 'text/javascript'); e.setAttribute('src', '//static.chartbeat.com/js/chartbeat.js'); document.body.appendChild(e); }var oldonload = window.onload;window.onload = (typeof window.onload != 'function') ?loadChartbeat : function(){ oldonload(); loadChartbeat(); };})();</script><!-- Quantcast Tag --><script type="text/javascript">var _qevents = _qevents || [];(function() {var elem = document.createElement('script');elem.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://secure" : "http://edge") + ".quantserve.com/quant.js";elem.async = true;elem.type = "text/javascript";var scpt = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];scpt.parentNode.insertBefore(elem, scpt);})();_qevents.push({qacct:"p-F2VEj_KEUHG3-"});</script><noscript><div style="display:none;"><img src="//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-F2VEj_KEUHG3-.gif" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt="Quantcast"/></div></noscript><!-- End Quantcast tag --><script type="text/javascript">!function(t,e,n){function a(t){var a=e.createElement("script");a.type="text/javascript",a.async=true,a.src=("https:"===e.location.protocol?"https":"http")+":"+n,(t||e.body||e.head).appendChild(a)}function o(){var t=e.getElementsByTagName("script"),n=t[t.length-1];return n.parentNode} var p=o();t.spotId="sp_JjtET6Vo",t.parentElement=p,a(p)}(window.SPOTIM={},document,"//www.spot.im/launcher/bundle.js");</script><script type="text/javascript">(function(e,t){if(t._ym===void 0){t._ym="";var m=e.createElement("script");m.type="text/javascript",m.async=!0,m.src="//static.yieldmo.com/ym.m5.js",(e.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||e.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(m)}else t._ym instanceof String||void 0===t._ym.chkPls||t._ym.chkPls()})(document,window);(function(){ if(window.innerWidth <= 768){ var ym_ad = document.createElement('div'); ym_ad.id = 'ym_1311641052131998525'; ym_ad.classList.add('ym');var possibleSlots = document.querySelectorAll(".articleFragment p"); if(possibleSlots.length >= 2 && possibleSlots[1].classList.length <= 0){ possibleSlots[1].appendChild(ym_ad); }else if(possibleSlots.length >= 3 && possibleSlots[2].classList.length <= 0){ possibleSlots[2].appendChild(ym_ad); } } }());</script></body></html>