The Air Force Reserve Command plan to accelerate movement of nine of the AFRC A-10s from New Orleans to Whiteman AFB, Mo., has played havoc with Whiteman’s timetable. The Reservists at the Missouri base are not complaining, but officials told the Sedalia Democrat that it normally would take three years to transition a fighter wing to a new base. “We’re cramming it into about eight months,” said Col. Patrick Cord, commander of AFRC’s 442nd Fighter Wing at Whiteman. The Missouri unit also gains some 200 new positions.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.