On a mission from Dover AFB, Del., to Bagram AB, Afghanistan, a combined active duty and Air Force Reserve crew flies a C-5M Super Galaxy on a direct, non-stop 15-hour, flight-with one aerial refueling-over the Arctic, marking the first time a USAF aircraft has flown this northern route. Use of the route by military aircraft was made possible by an agreement reached with Russia in 2009.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
