Air Force Reserve Command’s 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., dispatched an HC-130P/N to aid the Coast Guard in a search for 31 Dominican migrants over the weekend, reports Capt. Cathleen Snow. The Coast Guard asked for help to search more than 2,400 square miles between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The 920th RQW aircrew had to fly about 3.5 hours to reach their search area and flew another 1.5 hours on scene before hearing that the Coast Guard had spotted the missing people. They continued their patrol to ensure all had been picked up.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
