One mobility program the Air Force is not considering for cutback is the C-5M Super Galaxy upgrade, said Air Mobility Command chief Gen. Paul Selva. The C-5M is achieving “80 percent plus” reliability rates and is a “magnificent” performer operationally, he told reporters on Sept. 17 at AFA’s Air and Space Conference in National Harbor, Md. But to keep C-5Ms, Selva said he might have to accelerate retirement of the Air Force’s C-5As, which continue to struggle. Recently, the C-5M and C-5A were tasked with identical missions: moving an Army combat aviation brigade. Three C-5Ms did the job in 11 days. Meanwhile, the C-5As broke; all needed replacement, and the job was done well after the Army asked to have it completed, said Selva. The C-5M provides “increased capacity and better fuel efficiency, and it’s a much more reliable platform,” said Selva, and “we have not put that on the table” as a termination candidate.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
