The Air Logistics Center charged with maintaining the Air Force’s KC-135 tanker fleet knows it needs the help of the Defense Logistics Agency to keep the 40-plus year old aircraft operational. Michele Rachie, deputy director of the 827th Aircraft Sustainment Group at the Oklahoma City ALC, on a visit to DLA’s Defense Supply Center Richmond (Va.), said, “We’re replacing parts we didn’t plan on replacing, so partnering with DLA is key to future supportability.” Currently, DLA manages more than 100,000 items for KC-135 aircraft. As the Air Force begins a flight control overhaul program as part of the effort to sustain the aircraft through 2040, David Haguet, DLA KC-135 weapon system support manager, said that DLA plans to increase “buying activity on almost 2,000 national stock numbers” the service will need to “perform deep overhaul on 26 aircraft flight control surfaces.”
U.S. Northern Command and multiple research organizations just wrapped up a joint, three-year experiment to test new radar technology that could enable the Northern Warning System to detect incoming threats at longer ranges across Alaska and northern Canada.