The latest such mission has two C-130s and 24 airmen from the 463rd Airlift Group at Little Rock AFB, Ark., spending 120 days in Southwest Asia. It takes them three days—with stopovers in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Italy—to reach the theater. Some of the Little Rock airmen have made 54 such trips to SWA. “We know it is dangerous, but each time we load up one C-130, that is one less convoy that will be put in harms’ way,” said loadmaster SSgt. Paul Rose.
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.