The Pentagon’s latest selected acquisition report—for the December 2006 reporting period—shows that the Air Force’s C-130 avionics modernization program did increase in cost—by some 21 percent—as USAF predicted. The rise, per the SAR release, was due “primarily to increases in labor rates and install hours … and increases in mission support equipment, simulator/trainers, depot costs, and other weapon system costs.” The Air Force decision not to pursue AMP for 166 C-130s helped “partially offset” the increase. The service has had to ground or restrict 53 of its C-130s, including three that are in such poor shape USAF would have to pay $2 million per aircraft to repair them; the service decided last year not to apply the AMP upgrade to its oldest E models. The “current” SAR likely is outdated, though, since Boeing said last month that it had lowered the cost by 40 percent for the second C-130 over the first Hercules to go through the AMP upgrade by developing efficiencies during the process.
Space Force Component in Pacific Gets New Commander
July 29, 2025
The Space Force’s main arm in the Pacific got a new leader July 25, as Brig. Gen. Brian Denaro succeeded Maj. Gen. Anthony J. Mastalir as head of Space Forces Indo-Pacific.