Initial results of the Air Force’s ongoing test of its ability to directly support the Army’s intratheater airlift needs—a mission that C-27J transports will perform in coming years—are quite promising, according to air mobility officials. Air Mobility Command began this assessment in November in Iraq with an expeditionary airlift squadron and two C-130 transports serving as surrogate C-27Js, along with a C-27J concept of employment that has now matured into a concept of operations. The squadron has already completed dozens of sorties in this role. It has executed 100 percent of the missions so far. “The Army wants this to work. They’ve been asking for this for 60 years. And we’re showing them that we’re with them 100 percent,” said Col. Gary McCue, air liaison officer with the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. (Scott report by Mark Diamond)
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
