AMC chief Gen. Duncan McNabb said it will take somewhere between $22 million and $25 million per aircraft to refurbish AMC’s grounded C-130E-model aircraft with everything those old Hercs need to be viable weapons systems. Avionics, engines, and center wing boxes all need work. But even then, AMC would have upgraded but 40-year-old aircraft. “At some point, this is not good for the nation,” McNabb said, when there are brand new C-130Js and Joint Cargo Aircraft the Air Force could more profitably spend the money on instead.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.