Four years after the US deployed to Afghanistan to oust the Taliban, the United States is undertaking a nearly $100 million expansion and improvement project at Bagram Air Base—to replace the runway designed for Russian fighters and worn out by the influx of USAF heavy airlifters. The projects includes extending ramps for fighters, adding ammunition storage, and building a six-story control tower. Across CENTCOM’s operational area, the Pentagon plans more than $1.2 billion in projects to sustain operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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.