USAF C-17 and C-130 transports airlift relief aid to Pakistan following a devastating Oct. 8 earthquake. USAF C-5s transport Army helicopters as part of a joint task force that soon had international assistance. As of Oct. 21, USAF had airlifted more than 1,200 tons.
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.