Officials at the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, say they are preceding handily with the largest modernization program for the F-16 Viper. At the heart of the upgrade is what’s called Common Configuration Implementation Program—a comprehensive $2 billion effort to enhance avionics commonality for 650 Block 40, 42, 50, and 52 F-16s. Officials say the CCIP, expected to be completed by 2010, will improve “lethality and survivability” and reduce the cost of upkeep. Key elements include Link-16 capability, new mission computers, color displays, and enhanced horizontal situation indicators, among other improvements.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach told lawmakers Apr. 30 that the service’s biggest airlifter, the C-5 Galaxy, has a 37 percent mission capable rate—one of several challenges facing the mobility fleet.