The Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing at Schenectady, N.Y., is headed to Afghanistan, marking the first time the 109th has deployed as a unit since the Vietnam War, reports the Albany Times-Union. Individual members of the C-130 tactical airlift unit have deployed to the war on terror but with other outfits. The 109th is perhaps best known for flying its ski-equipped LC-130s for missions in the Polar Regions.
The Air Force plans to add external weapons pylons on the B-1B bomber, both to increase the number of aircraft that can test hypersonic missiles and expand the Lancer’s loadout as USAF transitions to the B-21 bomber.