There is a unit at Ali Base, Iraq, the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron Ammo Flight, that has six airmen who handle all the countermeasure requirements for C-130s of both the US and Iraqi Air Forces. They maintain a munitions stockpile of 661 items, valued at $1.8 million, and each type of ammo has a different service life—inspection and reclassification is a neverending cycle, reports the Ali Times. And, then there’s the everyday task of replenishing the chaff and flares used by the airlifters.
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.