For two straight years, the Air Force’s three air logistics centers have exceeded their aircraft production goal and met engine production goals – helping put hardware on the front lines where it’s needed. According to AFMC statistics for FY 2005, the overall on-time delivery rate for aircraft rose to 96 percent, a new record, with logistics personnel producing 1,152 aircraft. For aircraft produced in-house at AFMC facilities, the on-time production rate jumped to 99.2 percent, with contract workers improving their on-time rates from 76.8 percent in 2004 to 89.9 percent in 2005.
Bell Textron has won DARPA's contest for a no-runway, high-speed drone that will prove out technologies useful for special operations forces and possibly the Air Force's Agile Combat Employment concept. Bell's design converts a tiltrotor to a jet-powered aircraft able to fly at up to 450 knots.