Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins AFB, Ga., has formed a new unit to undertake a five-year effort to completely rewire 122 F-15C/D Eagles and then do the same work on the F-15E Strike Eagles, probably lasting another five years, according to a Jan. 19 release. Officials expect the rewire team, ultimately comprising 73 current technicians and 47 new hires, to handle seven aircraft at a time, taking about 72 to 77 days per F-15. The initial team began work in November 2009 and currently has four fighters undergoing rewiring. According to Keith Gilstrap, the rewire flight chief, the insulation on the F-15s has turned brittle over time and causes shorts, significantly increasing field repair time. He said that the rewire work “is really going to save millions of dollars; it’s going to save an untold amount of manhours out in the field, in troubleshooting and repair.” (Robins report by Wayne Crenshaw)
An April 16 explosion destroyed a building at Northrop Grumman’s Innovation Systems plant in Promontory, Utah, where the company makes solid rocket motors for the U.S. government and commercial rocket companies.