The Japanese Air Self Defense Force has sent five personnel—four airmen and one contractor—to Robins AFB, Ga., to train with Air Force technicians expert in aircraft battle damage repair. The JASDF liaison at Robins, Lt. Col. Masafumi Ito, said that Japan doesn’t have an ABDR training program and the latest students will replace airmen trained in the US program two years ago. The new Japanese students are focusing on F-15 and C-130 damage repair techniques.
The Department of the Air Force wants to launch a construction boom with its fiscal 2027 budget, more than doubling its request over 2026, according to budget documents.