A
n Alaskan Air National Guard C-130 aircrew just kept flying and trying their radio to reach ground forces, determined not to leave before airdropping a load of ammunition to US Army soldiers in Afghanistan. A change in frequency got them through, but they could tell the problem was the soldiers had been and were engaged in a firefight. Flying back to the drop zone and dodging thunderstorms “tossed” the loadmasters in the rear trying to get the pallets ready, and, once there, the aircrew had to coordinate via the Army’s drop zone controller to ensure a USAF A-10 providing close air support in the vicinity of the drop zone was clear. The C-130 crew dropped six bundles of ammo just in time. (Read more here.)
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
