An upgraded C-5M Super Galaxy flew a cargo mission from Travis AFB, Calif., to Yokota AB, Japan, without stopping or refueling during the first week of March. The upgraded M version of the aircraft has the range and fuel efficiency to skip a layover at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, or JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. This ability saves time, fuel, and money for the Air Force, as well as cutting down on required crew rest. “We’ve saved 1,680 flight hours, used 34 percent less fuel, and cut $4.8 million in fuel costs per year, saving 14 hours in one mission,” said Lt. Col. Cory Damon, commander of the 22nd Airlift Squadron at Travis, according to a press release. Lockheed Martin is upgrading 52 C-5s and expects the work to be completed in early 2018.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
