The California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing loaded three HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and assorted equipment aboard a Russian civilian An-124 heavy transport aircraft for the unit’s deployment to Afghanistan. The Air Force’s C-17 fleet is fully engaged in Southwest Asia, so only one could support the 129th RQW on this deployment, reports Capt. Alyson Teeter. The C-17, flown and operated by Air Force Reservists from McChord AFB, Wash., transported the Air Guardsmen.
Space Systems Command has awarded a massive $2.29 billion contract to SpaceX for the “backbone” of its new Space Data Network, a constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit that will provide connectivity for the entire joint force.