T
he Air Force last week reprised—after a fashion—a 1938 event that reshaped airpower. Three B-52 bombers on Aug. 24 flew approximately 1,600 miles to intercept a ship—the US Navy’s 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo, a maritime prepositioning ship, much like the 1938 flight of a B-17 that intercepted the Rex, an Italian steamship. The present-day mission was designed with the same purpose in mind—to showcase the versatility and strike capabilities of the Air Force over any terrain. (Read more in this first-hand account by Air Force Magazine’s Adam Hebert.)
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.