Air Force Special Operations Command has completed its AOA for a replacement for its Vietnam-era MC-130 Combat Talon aircraft. AFSOC’s Capt. Elizabeth Paul noted that the new aircraft—now known as M-X—will need to carry more and fly farther and faster than a CV-22. Of course, the M-X must “be highly survivable” because the “exponentially increasing array of threats” make this aircraft a “difficult niche in which to maintain a robust capability,” she said. The M-X probably will push “advanced, low-observable technologies to new levels,” Paul added. Estimated fielding date, under the current acquisition system, said Paul, is 15 years from program start.
Watch, Read: CSO Saltzman on ‘The State of the Space Force’
Sept. 30, 2023
Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman delivered a keynote address on “The State of the Space Force,” detailing the young service’s progress and upcoming initiatives at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 11, 2023. Watch the video or read the transcript.