Air Mobility Command has approved the use of tablet computers in place of paper flight manuals at all AMC wings, according to a press release. AMC began the electronic flight bag initiative in 2010 as a cost-saving measure, and they estimate that replacing 120 pounds of paper with a tablet saves almost $3.8 million per year across the command. The savings come in reduced fuel consumption and paper printing and distribution costs. AMC has also taken security precautions with the new system. “Working with the Defense Information Systems Agency’s security technical implementation guide, we know how to configure the tablet for government use, and how to configure each tablet to ensure it has the most secure cyber posture,” said Richard Quidgeon, requirements manager for the program.
United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket is slated to fly its second national security mission in February—nearly six months after its first operational launch and almost a year after it was certified to fly military payloads for the Space Force.
