Australian military forces not only got a helping hand when they needed to rapidly reposition troops and equipment as they sent forces to assist East Timor with its political unrest, but also got to see first hand how to employ the new C-17 airlifter. Australia expects to get four of its own C-17s in 2007. The deployment of two C-17s from Hickam AFB, Hawaii, enabled Royal Australian Air Force members to get some “hands-on practice,” according to Warrant Officer Vivianne Northover of the Joint Movement Control Office. Mobility airmen teamed up with RAAF counterparts to make sure cargo was loaded safely into the C-17s, since the Australians were used to loading C-130s.
The Pentagon’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 took a step toward making an Amazon-like online marketplace for counter-drone tech a reality this week with its first acquisition under the Replicator 2 effort.
