T
he C-17 aircrews at Hickam AFB, Hawaii rarely get to practice their multi-ship airdrop training because the Hickam airlifters are in such demand, reports TSgt. Shane Cuomo. This week the photojournalist got to cover the first four-ship training mission the 525th Airlift Squadron has been able to squeeze in this year. On any given day, the squadron has two aircraft to train with, but it needs four to best meet airdrop proficiency requirements. Maj. Matt Zehr, a 535th AS pilot, called the training “critical” for aircrew members to stay fully qualified.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.