The 9th Special Operations Squadron transferred from Hurlburt Field, Fla., to Cannon AFB, N.M., as it prepares to retire its legacy MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft in exchange for new-build MC-130J Commando IIs. “It’s sad to see an aircraft retire, but we will retain the best of what the Shadow community has done for Air Force Special Operations Command and our nation, and move that to the next aircraft,” said CMSgt. Matt Caruso, AFSOC’s command chief, during a ceremony at Hurlburt on Oct. 3. “It means AFSOC is making progress in meeting the Air Force’s vision of modernizing our aging fleet,” he added. Officials activated a stay-behind detachment—1st Special Operations Group, Det. 1—at Hurlburt to see the unit’s MC-130Ps to retirement in May 2015. Until then, the detachment “will continue to provide aerial refueling to SOF vertical-lift assets as well as support infiltration and exfiltration operations,” said 1st SOG Commander Col. Shawn Cameron. (Hurlburt report by A1C Jeff Parkinson)
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.
