USS Forrestal's C-130 deck trials, conducted chiefly in November 1963, demonstrated the class's deck size. A Hercules could carry engines, replacement personnel, food, and other urgent material directly to a carrier at sea. The method was inefficient for aviation fuel and did not become routine. Smaller dedicated carrier-onboard-delivery aircraft such as the C-2 Greyhound offered a more practical service. Even so, the trials established the logistics value of shortening the supply chain for selected high-priority cargoes.
Notable Point · 44:54-46:45
A C-130 landing tests large-aircraft carrier delivery
Forrestal's 1963 C-130 deck trials tested how engines, personnel, food, and urgent cargo could reach a carrier at sea.