As weapons advance so must the pylons that carry and connect them to the aircraft. The 309th Commodities Maintenance Squadron at Ogden Air Logistics Center, Utah, is upgrading the pylons for F-16 fighters. The 309th maintainers remove the existing wiring harnesses and machine the pylons to accommodate the new, larger harness. They reassemble the pylon, and then perform electrical tests “to ensure everything is working as planned and finished it off with a paint job,” says Steve Morlock, 309th CMXS armament flight chief. Using a new lean process, developed by the 309th, they are turning the pylons faster by several days.
President Donald Trump on July 4 signed into law $150 billion in defense funds as part of the tax-and-spending package known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” after congressional Republicans approved the legislation in narrow, drawn-out votes earlier this week.
