Major Commands Highlight Support and Sustainment Issues
Dr. Marvin R. Sambur, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Gen. John W. Handy, Air Mobility Command commander, and Gen. Gregory S. Martin, Air Force Material Command commander chaired the meeting which included 11 other general officers, members of the senior executive service, and their staffs. They discussed new aircraft acquisition, improvements to existing weapons systems and sustainment of legacy systems.
"You can't put a price on these discussions," General Handy said. "There's no other way to address these issues unless we sit down together and come to an agreement on how to proceed."
The group addressed the positive steps being taken to ensure the C-130J is ready to perform in a combat environment no later than December, 2004. The aircraft, a top priority for AMC, are now performing non-combat operational missions. Lockheed Martin has delivered 35 of
the new tactical airlifters to the Air Force since 1999.
Other topics included enhancing the communications for passengers on the C-32 and C-40, and sustainment approaches for the Tunner and Halvorsen aircraft cargo loaders. They also touched on the fielding of Large Aircraft Countermeasures and Roll-On Beyond line-of Sight Enhancement for the KC-135.
LAIRCM provides a laser-based self protection capability for large AMC airlifters against widely proliferated infrared missiles. The ROBE system, part of the Air Force's "smart tanker" concept, is a communications pallet that allows KC-135s flying air refueling missions to relay communications data from battle directors to network users in a theater of operations.
The director of the Air Force Fleet Viability Board, which recently completed its assessment of the C-5A fleet, briefed the group on its processes and findings. The board is tasked with providing the secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force chief of staff a judgment of a fleet's viable service life within a six, 14 and 25-year span, providing indicators of the cost of continued ownership, aircraft availability and operational health. Next up for the board is an assessment of the KC-135E and KC-135R fleets.
Officials from AFMC concluded the event by highlighting ways AFMC and AMC logistics partnerships reduced programmed depot maintenance flow days as much as 42 percent, and increased depot production capacity as much as 32 percent.
General Martin said the meeting was a very valuable tool for SAF/AQ and AFMC officials "to better understand the needs for AMC in the areas of acquisition and sustainment." "We have a team that cares about doing what's right. We're providing support to the war fighter as never seen before," he said.
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