The number of new C-130J transports delivered to the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein AB, Germany, now stands at 10, with the arrival of two more airframes in December. Brig. Gen. Michael Callan, vice commander of 17th Air Force (Air Forces Africa) flew one of the C-130Js in from Lockheed Martin’s assembly facility in Marietta, Ga., on Dec. 23. The second aircraft touched down at Ramstein that same day. Overall, the 37th AS is slated to receive a total of 14 C-130Js, which are replacing the unit’s C-130E warhorses that served for decades. Lockheed has said the four remaining C-130Js will be delivered in 2010. (Ramstein photo caption by MSgt. Jim Fisher)
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.