The modernization of USAF’s C-130 fleet with new avionics requires USAF flight test crews to go back to school. Members of the 418th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, Calif., are undergoing two weeks’ worth of training at the Long Beach, Calif., facility of Boeing, prime contractor for the Avionics Modernization Program. They are qualifying to test the new hardware and software via a combination of classroom and simulator work. The entire AMP project reportedly covers all older C-130s—except the E model—flown by active, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Command crews.
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.