An estimated 1,500 Boeing Co. machinists have gone on strike after labor talks between their union and the Boeing unit that operates the Delta rocket broke down, per the Dow Jones newswire. Of concern to the Air Force would be the Boeing Delta launch operations at Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., and Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Boeing already postponed launch of a NASA environmental satellite, believing a strike was imminent.
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.