According to the Desert Eagle, the Air Force Combat Weather Team is doing a “great job” forecasting Southwest Asia area thunder and lightening storms, especially considering their lack of desert training. They “nailed” one recent forecast three days out, said Col. John Norton, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing vice commander. The CWT worked continuously during the storm to update conditions, enabling an aeromedical flight to land as scheduled within minutes of a dramatic loss of visibility.
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.