Gen. Duncan McNabb, speaking at the Airlift/Tanker Association convention Tuesday, called Air Mobility Command the “crown jewel” of the nation’s defense. He explained that every day AMC launches or lands an aircraft every 90 seconds to two minutes, conducting missions in the war on terror and for humanitarian operations such as Hurricane Katrina and the Pakistan earthquake. The general said AMC already had streamlined operations but the need to recapitalize aircraft and equipment while conducting the war on terrorism would force AMC to continue to refine operations. He told the mobility crowd, “You’re doing things faster, saving time, and turning aircraft quicker, which saves money and is creating dividends for the command.”
While the U.S. and its allies up their efforts to build out multi-orbit, multi-constellation satellite communications that are harder for an enemy to disrupt, officials noted technical and cost challenges, particularly for the user in the field.