Test personnel at Edwards AFB, Calif., have been testing the latest in radar warning receivers, the ALR-56M on the C-130J, to determine whether fixes to earlier problems are sufficient, said Lt. Col. David Coppler, commander of the 772nd Test Squadron. This new radar is intended to provide aircrews with warning of surface-to-air or air-to-air missile attack. The test team moved a J model Hercules into the Benefield Anechoic Facility to “isolate it” from extraneous frequencies, said Col. Joe Nichols, commander of the 412th Electronic Warfare Group at Edwards. (Report by SrA. Jason Hernandez.)
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.