Some Air Force C-130s flying out of Balad AB, Iraq, are not delivering supplies; instead they are flying members of the Joint Airborne Battle Staff to watch over convoy communications. The capability once was a haphazard affair, conducted by chance whenever an aircraft happened to fly over a convoy that was asking for help. Multi-National Force-Iraq created the JABS less than a year ago, reports Army Sgt. Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown. Now, the teams of Air Force, Army, and Navy personnel fly on the dedicated C-130 to monitor convoy communications and to relay calls wherever needed. Each team includes operators who monitor and relay communications and technicians who make equipment repairs if needed.
The Space Force should take bold, decisive steps—and soon—to develop the capabilities and architecture needed to support more flexible, dynamic operations in orbit and counter Chinese aggression and technological progress, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
