Air Force Reserve Command’s 920th Rescue Wing cut the ribbon on a $4 million renovated and expanded heavy maintenance hangar for HC-130P/N aircraft at Patrick AFB, Fla., according to a release. The wing expanded the original 17,000 square-foot isochronal inspection nose-dock to a 27,000 square-foot hangar that can fully enclose an HC-130 and permit maintenance work in all weather, with decreased impact from salt corrosion, states the wing’s Jan. 12 release. The project also added a kitchen, offices, and a break room, in addition to upgrading the hangar’s water and foam fire-suppression systems and incorporating a bridge crane, maintenance platforms, and upgraded lighting. Hangar 630 officially reopened on Jan. 10.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.