The ribbon has been cut on a new $25 million 6,800 square foot hangar at Ramstein, AB, Germany, that will allow maintenance of the Air Force’s largest airplanes no matter the weather conditions, reports Stars and Stripes. The hangar, which is big enough to house the C-5 or C-17, allows maintainers to work on the airplanes inside, helping the base handle the 400 flights a month. The hangar is complete with heavy-load cranes fixed to the ceiling, a maintenance training room, and three diesel engines that can pump enough firefighting foam to cover the airplane’s wings in case of fire. The project is one of several that are transforming fighter-base Ramstein into an airlift hub, following the closure of Rhein-Main AB, Germany last year.
The U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…