Air Combat Command is paying 31 percent more for aviation fuel today than a year ago, raising the price from $1.74 per gallon to $2.53 per gallon. This is the second year in a row that ACC has faced a high fuel bill. In Fiscal 2005, the command paid $1.4 billion more for fuel than it had in 2004. On top of the higher fuel costs, ACC officials say a tighter budget has led the Air Force to reduce its flying hour budget for training by 10 percent a year from Fiscal 2008 to 2013. However, ACC flying-hour program analyst John Cilento says ACC already programs “the minimum requirements to train our aircrews, so any reduction is a loss of an already maxed out training capability.” ACC is looking at two potential, but long-term solutions: high-fidelity simulators and coal-to-jet-fuel research.
Competitors Not Picked for CCA Look Forward to Increment 2
April 25, 2024
While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.