The Air Force has announced a series of upcoming public hearings to discuss its proposal to use low-altitude airspace in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico for training MC-130 and CV-22 aircrews from Cannon AFB, N.M. The hearings are scheduled for Oct. 18 in Montrose, Colo., and Oct. 19 in Alamosa, Durango, and Pueblo, Colo., according a Cannon release. The announcement comes on the heels of Colorado’s two Senators sending a letter to Air Force Special Operations Command, expressing concern over the proposal. Sen. Michael Bennet (D) and Sen. Mark Udall (D) call on the AFSOC leadership in their Oct. 7 missive to ensure that the decision process on the airspace is transparent and takes into account “existing civilian and military aviation operations, wilderness areas, agriculture, ski areas, and other national treasures,” including a nearby Army National Guard high-altitude range.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.