One of the initiatives spawned during the tenure of former Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper was to make mobility aircraft even more useful than they are by adding a communications-relay function. Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom AFB, Mass., has just issued a request for information to aid integration of “a secure beyond-line-of-sight and line-of-sight data link capability into the mobility air forces fleet.” The RFI says that Air Mobility Command wants to make hardware and software modifications for this new capability to 112 C-5, 513 C-130, 180 C-17, 59 KC-10, and 377 KC-135 aircraft. ESC wants suggested approaches by March 17.
Iran and its proxy groups across the Middle East remain a threat to American troops in the region despite being weakened by conflicts on multiple fronts over the past few years, the nominee to run U.S. Central Command said June 24.