FORCE Stands for Faster Fueling: Deployed airmen in Southwest Asia are refueling aircraft faster and with fewer personnel in part due to new fuels mobility support equipment. The new system, dubbed FORCE for Fuels Operational Readiness Capability Equipment, is becoming the standard in the SWA area of operations, according to MSgt. Stacy Baker, the fuels management flight superintendent for the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron. FORCE has assisted the unit in cutting the time it takes to refuel an aircraft nearly in half. Using the old system took a four-person team around 42 minutes to refill a C-17, but now airmen can do the same tasks with two people and two pieces of equipment in 24 minutes, said Baker. The new system also allows airmen to refill two of their fuel trucks simultaneously. “The C-17 crews absolutely love it,” Baker added.
On Nov. 27, Space Systems Command awarded a $196 million contract to RTX, for more work on the Next-Generation Operational Control System, as the OCX program struggles to move forward after nearly 15 years.