The Air Force’s 27th Special Operations Wing, out of Cannon AFB, N.M., stepped up its training profile last month by executing a full mission exercise in the remote mountains of Utah and Colorado, according to an Aug. 26 release. Instead of making use of the familiar ground of Melrose Air Force Range, N.M., the 27th SOW was pressed to respond to unfamiliar challenges in the areas of logistics, communications, and transportation in a way that sought to simulate a real-world operation, according to the release. The exercise marked the first time the full wing participated in such a large exercise held at a remote location. Air Force Special Operations Command also validated a rapid ground refueling capability during the exercise, using a “cold bulk fuel system” to deliver fuel to a U-28—“a first for the squadrons and the special operations group overall,” states the release.
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…