The aircraft is a modified version of the C-130 Hercules transport configured with specialized weather instrumentation including a dropsonde deployment/receiver system and crewed by a meteorologist for penetration of tropical cyclones and winter storms to obtain data on movement, size and intensity.

A former weather recon aircraft, H-model 65-0968, was lost on 2 May 2018 while serving with the Puerto Rico Air National Guard on its final ferry flight to retirement.

Headquarters Air Force had always considered aerial weather reconnaissance an expendable luxury when budget cuts were necessary or when funds were needed for expensive programs.

The problems with the WB-50, brought to a head in May 1960 by fuel leaks that grounded the entire 66-plane fleet, accelerated the process, which scheduled a complete phaseout by 1963.

LeMay, now Air Force Chief of Staff, approved the plan on 31 August 1961; the next day the Soviet Union resumed nuclear testing.

Of the seven original weather reconnaissance squadrons, four of which received the WC-130 at some point, only the 53d WRS remains active, now assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC).

The WC-130J model, introduced in 1999, is currently the weather reconnaissance platform for the 53rd WRS, part of the 403rd Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command at Keesler AFB, Mississippi.

They penetrate tropical cyclones and hurricanes at altitudes ranging from 500 to 10,000 feet (150 to 3,050 m) above the ocean surface depending upon the intensity of the storm.

After operational testing and evaluation, three were distributed to the 54th, 56th, and 57th WRS and the 55th deployed one of its remaining two to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.

The WC-130Bs were powered by four Allison T56-A-7A turboprop engines rated at 4,050 shaft horsepower (3,020 kW), had a cruising speed of 350 knots (400 mph; 650 km/h), a radius of action of 1,200 miles (1,000 nmi; 1,900 km) with a payload of 25,000 pounds (11,000 kg), and a service ceiling of 30,000 feet (9,144 m).

$4.5 million was budgeted for WRAMA to transfer the Seek Cloud equipment from the Bs to the newer Hs, and the changeover occurred between June 1973 and July 1974.

A total of 15 HC-130H rescue Hercules were eventually modified with Seek Cloud equipment and designated WC-130H,[n 12] replacing all 16 WC-130Bs in the weather reconnaissance squadrons.

The WC-130H was equipped with the more powerful Allison T56-A-15 turboprop engines rated at 4,910 shaft horsepower (3,660 kW) and had wing-mounted fuel tanks that provided an additional 2,720 US gallons (2,260 imp gal; 10,300 L) of fuel, extending the WC-130H's radius of action at maximum cruise speed (230 knots (260 mph; 430 km/h) (KIAS), 350 knots (400 mph; 650 km/h) (KTAS)) to 2,250 nautical miles (2,590 mi; 4,170 km).

Conversion of the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules greatly enhanced the capability and safety of the WC-130 in its penetration of tropical cyclones on critical "fix" missions.

The aircraft is not equipped for aerial refueling, but with wing-mounted auxiliary fuel tanks is capable of staying aloft almost 18 hours at an optimum cruise speed of more than 300 mph (260 kn; 480 km/h).

The weather officer also evaluates other meteorological conditions such as turbulence, icing, visibility, cloud types and amounts, and ocean surface winds.

As the instrument descends to the sea surface, it measures and relays to the aircraft a vertical atmospheric profile of the temperature, humidity and barometric pressure and wind data.

Between May 2007 and February 2008, all ten WC-130J were equipped with the Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR or "Smurf"), which continuously measures the surface winds and rainfall rates below the aircraft, mounted in a radome on the right wing outboard of the number four engine.

The aircraft normally flies a radius of about 100 miles (87 nmi; 160 km) from the vortex to collect detailed data about the structure of the tropical cyclone.