Air Force personnel at Bagram AB, Afghanistan, continue to support relief operations in Pakistan. On Oct. 16, they loaded two Air Force C-17s and a C-130 with more than 141,300 pounds of supplies, including clothing, tents, and MREs. Back in the states, a KC-10 flew to Langley AFB, Va., where it picked up 20,000 pounds of supplies destined for Pakistan. Air Mobility Command also has plans to airlift 21 Army Chinook helicopters from three stateside Army posts.
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.