Four of the Air Force’s new C-130J tactical airlifters flew a total of 5,444 sorties over the course of a 20-month “trial” deployment to Southwest Asia, according to statistics just released by Lockheed Martin. Those four transports—from Air National Guard units in California, Maryland, and Rhode Island—hauled more than 12,000 tons of cargo and 70,000 passengers. Air Mobility Command declared initial operational capability with the J Model last fall.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
