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.
The Space Force is looking for industry feedback on its plans to create a new “Mission Development Zone” at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., to support launch providers with space for additional payload processing capacity, test and assembly facilities, and potentially rocket and spacecraft manufacturing infrastructure.