Several US Air Force C-130Hs are ferrying Japanese personnel and equipment to assist with relief efforts after a series of earthquakes struck the Kyushu region of Japan, according to a press release. The 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota AB, Japan, sent the aircraft and crews to the Kyushu region April 18. They transported Japanese heavy vehicles and recovery personnel from Chitose AB, Hokkaido, to Kyushu. Speaking to reporters during a Monday briefing, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said US MV-22 Ospreys and a UC-35 are also being used to move Japanese Self Defense Force equipment and personnel. Davis said Ecuador did not request US assistance following a recent earthquake there, but noted all 13 DOD personnel in that country were unharmed.
The Air Force ramped up operations and maintenance spending to keep its F-35A fighters flying over the past six years, but readiness continues to lag behind goals, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.