The technicians at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia finished a rush depot overhaul of an Air Force Special Operations Command AC-130U gunship in less than the requested 150 days. A routine scheduled maintenance on a gunship takes 181 days, the ALC did it in 146 days—and that included more than the routine work because the aircraft needed extra work, like repair of its center wing box, which is a problem with older C-130 airframes. Aircraft logistics specialist Winston Slappey summed up the experience: “It was all teamwork. Everyone was pushing on this aircraft.” AFSOC needed the gunship to meet its deployment schedule.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
