About a dozen members of the 642nd Combat Sustainment Group at Robins AFB, Ga., are redesigning the flightline air conditioners that are critical to aircraft operations in the high temperatures encountered in Afghanistan and Iraq. “The No. 1 complaint of our warfighters in theater is flightline air conditioners,” said Maj. Gen. Polly Peyer, commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center. The diesel-operated units are crucial for keeping aircraft avionics cool while the platforms are on the ground being prepared for missions. The current units are designed to operate in temperatures up to 135 degrees Fahrenheit, but flightline temperatures in Southwest Asia can get as high as 140 degrees, which causes them to shut down. The Air Force anticipates awarding a production contract for redesigned, more robust units late next year. (Robins report by Wayne Crenshaw)
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
