J model absolutely brilliant
Cougar I hope you are not including me in those whom you claim "are willing to stick the dagger in the back of the J". Truth is, it is not as well developed as were the, A and H especially, previous variants. The reasons for that may well be as you claim. I am sure the J model is not mediocre in any sense and it obviously should be able to be utilised in any role it's predecessors were. I don't know with whom you serve or what you have flown. I do know that the C130A-E-H all performed remarkably well in the roles for which they were each used and, in their day, were equally as "brilliant" as the J model.