Should acquisition of Air Force C-27J transports fall victim to the budget axe, that would have a “huge impact” on the Army’s CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters, said Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, Army Reserve chief. The C-27s were “designed to take the load off of our CH-47s,” Stultz told the House Armed Service Committee’s tactical air and land forces panel Wednesday. The CH-47s are some of the land service’s “highest op tempo” assets, he said. “We are flying the blades off of those things. And if we don’t get the C-27s to take a load off of there, it is going to have a significant impact on our CH-47 fleet,” he added.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…