The Air Force effort to upgrade 112 C-5 airlifters has passed a major hurdle—the successful test of new General Electric engines mounted on one of the airlifters as part of the C-5 Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program. There was some concern that the technical risk on this massive overhaul effort would be too great, but everything worked—start up, electronics, thrust reversal, and run up to full power. The engine replacement process included about 70 other modifications and were preceded by the Avionics Modernization Program. Once all AMP and RERP work is complete—around 2020—USAF will change the airlifter designation to C-5M.
The Collaborative Combat Aircraft will be operational in the late 2020s, several years before the Next-Generation Air Dominance family of systems, Air Force officials told the House Armed Services tactical aviation panel. The CCAs will first be “shooters,” then electronic warfare platforms, then sensors, in that order, they added.