Gen. Bryan D. Brown, commander of US Special Operations Command, says USAF Special Operations Forces are moving fast to adapt to new world conditions “and doing a fantastic job.” He told us Wednesday that the air commandos are among the best SOF he’s seen, noting, “They are changing to meet the requirements of the [new] missions.” He praised the Air Force’s corps of battlefield airmen for their work tying on-call airpower in with other services. Brown, in a session with Washington reporters, pointed out that USAF’s Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla. is standing up a new Predator squadron to supplement current ISR. Wherever he goes, Brown said, he “can’t sell [AFSOC] hard enough.”
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.