The Air Force reportedly has scrapped its plan to include its oldest C-130s in upgrade plans, according to Dow Jones Newswires. The news service quotes an official April 5 memo that states the service would not upgrade the C-130Es under the Avionics Modernization Program. And, it would bump its oldest H Models to the end of the upgrade line. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley told defense reporters in Washington Tuesday that he believes the modernization program is necessary but doesn’t think it’s required for the E models—many, if not all, of which suffer from center wing box cracks. The Air Force already has appealed to Congress to let it retire some of its oldest aircraft.
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.