The West Virginia Air National Guard’s 130th Airlift Wing has delivered one of its C-130 transports to the Boeing facility in San Antonio, where it will be the third Hercules to undergo avionics modernization program upgrades. Boeing VP Mike Harris said in a statement, “We have learned a lot from working on the first two AMP aircraft, and we are ready to apply those experiences as we start work on H3.” Earlier this year, the Pentagon recertified the C-130 AMP effort after it exceeded cost estimates, breaching the Nunn-McCurdy rule, but the Air Force cut the number to be modified by 80 aircraft.
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.