USAF airmen have been providing airlift support for the African Union peacekeeping mission in the Darfur region of Sudan for the past few years. The most recent mission for the 786th Air Expeditionary Squadron was Oct. 20, when the unit flew 400 Rwandan soldiers to Darfur, reports Capt. Erin Dorrance. The 786th AES expects to assist in transporting approximately 2,200 Rwandan troops and heavy equipment in and out of Darfur.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.