The Pentagon’s Mobility Capabilities and Requirements Study 2016, issued earlier this year, failed to clearly identify gaps or excesses in mobility systems, Government Accountability Office auditors have found. For example, the study was “ambiguous” whether there is excess capability in the Air Force’s strategic airlift fleet, according to GAO’s new report. While MCRS-16 determined that the fleet capacity exceeded peak demand by about 9 percent, the report did not specify whether there were too many or too few C-17 or C-5 aircraft, it states. Similarly, MCRS-16 provided conflicting information about the capacity of USAF’s C-130 fleet, claims GAO. The study said there are not enough C-130 aircrews to meet demands in some scenarios, but also found that the C-130 fleet exceeds the demand in many cases, notes GAO. “As a result, it is unclear whether there is sufficient C-130 capacity” in certain scenarios, states GAO.
The Space Development Agency added 21 satellites to its nascent data transport network in an Oct. 15 launch, the second mission in a 10-month campaign to field 154 operational spacecraft.
