The Ai
r Force’s C-130 Hercules fleet flew more than 23,500 hours above—yes, above—the tactical airlifter’s programmed flying hours. And, that, Gen. Michael Moseley told lawmakers Monday, is why “we are wearing them out.” The Air Force Chief of Staff also noted that over the past five months (September 2006 through January 2007), USAF C-130 and C-17s flew “100 percent of the Marine’s road-transportable missions,” which means about 9,000 troops per month didn’t need to run convoys.
The F-47 fighter will be run differently than previous fighter programs and share the same mission systems architecture as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin told the Senate Armed Services Committee. That means advances in one will fuel advances in the other.