The Air Force has tapped Northrop Grumman to provide technical and engineering support personnel to expand USAF’s national air defense force. The five-year, $64 million contract will fund hiring personnel “with appropriate security clearances to provide the Air Force with intelligence collections and analysis,” states a company news releases. According to Northrop, other areas covered by the contract are “operational planning, training, exercise planning and execution, computer systems, network management, security, personnel-management services, civil engineering, logistics management, aircraft maintenance, and supply and civil-support operations expertise.” The Northrop employees will work at McChord AFB, Wash., Rome, N.Y., Salt Lake City, Utah, and Tyndall AFB, Fla.
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.