USAF C-130 maintainers have a new engine shop that enables them to repair the Hercules airlifters in theater—eliminating the nearly four week lag time for a stateside replacement. With this new capability, the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group can get the heavily used C-130s back in the air normally within two to three days. And, then there is the money to be saved. TSgt. Scott Schlie, a C-130 engine manager, said, “Recently, our shop was able to repair two propellers, saving about $40,000.” Schlie said the 386th now has its own building with more than 1,000 different parts and 100 special tools.
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…