The US and Japan reached agreement on consolidating Marine Corps airborne operations on the island of Okinawa. The deal calls for moving operations at Marine Corps Air Station at Futenma to another base on the island. The decision to move the base was made in 1996, but negotiations dragged on. The agreement reached on Oct. 26 comes at a time when the US is attempting to renegotiate the presence of its military on Japanese soil in light of Asian-Pacific security threats such as North Korea.
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.