Lockheed Martin redelivered the 32nd C-5M Super Galaxy upgraded on its conversion line at Marietta, Ga., completing 2015 Galaxy deliveries a week ahead of schedule on Dec. 9, the company announced. Former C-5B, serial number 86-0016, was ferried from Marietta to Stewart ANGB, N.Y., for interior refurbishment before onward delivery to Travis AFB, Calif. The aircraft logged 21,510 flying hours before conversion to C-5M standards, and will become the 14th Super Galaxy delivered to Travis. The aircraft underwent both Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) and the separate Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP) to bring it up to C-5M standards. The Air Force is converting a total of 52 legacy C-5s under the combined AMP and RERP programs. Lockheed Martin delivered the previous C-5M at the end of October.
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…