From an Air Force perspective, having too many C-17 transports in the fleet “is a bad thing,” Lt. Gen. Mark Shackelford, military deputy to USAF’s top acquisition executive, said Tuesday. Speaking at an Air Force Association-sponsored Air Force Breakfast Series presentation in Arlington, Va., Shackelford said the extra C-17s that Congress is supplying the Air Force present challenges in integrating them into the force structure and paying for their operations and maintenance. Congress has appropriated funds for 223 C-17s, while the Air Force wanted to stop at 205. That bloated total, together with the 111 C-5 transports now in the fleet, places the service above the ideal strategic airlift fleet size identified in the Pentagon’s new Mobility Capabilities and Requirements Study, a number Shackelford said is “in the area of 300 large-deck cargo haulers.” (See Allow a Graceful Sunset)
The Air Force could conduct an operation like Israel's successful air campaign against Iran's nuclear sites, military leadership and air defenses, but readiness issues would make it risky, airpower experts said. Limited spare parts and training, low mission capable rates and few flying hours would put a drag on USAF's…