Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base is at the forefront of fighting one of the largest threats to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan—the improvised explosive device. The base has opened an Advanced Improvised Explosive Device Training Facility, which includes a mock airport, library, gas station, and bank. It is part of the school that trains USAF bomb squad members.
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.