The Air Force may be considering dropping the avionics modernization program it had planned for all but its most elderly C-130 tactical airlifters, according to a Reuters news service report. Reuters quotes defense analyst Loren Thompson, who says the Air Force is “seriously considering” taking the AMP money for older C-130s and putting it toward purchase of new J model C-130s. (Last summer, the Pentagon decided against C-130J termination, as a fiscally imprudent idea.) Award of the initial AMP development work to Boeing came under a cloud during the Darleen Druyun affair. Consequently, USAF plans to re-compete later work, including installation. In the long run, it may be cheaper to buy newer Hercules that already meet international standards than to refit the older fleet.
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…

