AF Wants 60 Light Lifters

[FlyingBull]

From military.com:

By Colin Clark Thursday, July 30th, 2009 5:19 pm

Posted in Air, International, Policy

In yet another sign of the Air Force’s commitment to new aspects of warfare, my colleague Stephen Trimble has broken the story that there’s a Request for Information out to industry asking for “fixed-wing platforms available for passenger and cargo transport in support of Irregular Warfare.”

Steve says there are a couple of likely candidates including “the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350 [pictured], Cessna 208 Grand Caravan and EADS CASA C-212.”

If you put this together with the Air Force secretary’s support for a counter-insurgency air wing, and his persistent touting of the exploits of air men and women who fight on the ground or otherwise in support of the joint force it seems Gen. Norton Schwartz really is intent on remaking the service. It helps, of course, that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has, as Trimble notes, plans eventually to commit 10 percent of military resources to irregular warfare.

I’m sure some perceptive readers have noted I did not mention the service’s recent UAS plan as part of Schwartz’s commitment. That, from what I’ve heard, was much more a product of pressure from Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the service to show its support for unmanned systems than it was the product of the service

Link: http://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/07/30/af-wants-60-light-airlifters/?wh=wh

I guess the good news is that there are going to be 60 more manned aircraft.

[StoleIt]

What ever happened to the JCA/C-27J shenanigans?

[pintail21]

What ever happened to the JCA/C-27J shenanigans?

Aren't there some at Eglin/Hurlburt field?

[nsplayr]

I guess the good news is that there are going to be 60 more manned aircraft.

Absolutely...that's a hidden benefit I'm sure we'll all appreciate in shifting towards more of an IW focus. Since these planes are a lot cheaper than a larger jet we can afford more and that means more seats for dudes to sit in and actually fly. So I'm reading this as Big Blue's take on NSA-type operations...correct?

[135ASelect]

The JCA is in the process of wholly being taken over by Big Blue. They're are currently two units in the front-running for the JCA with schools being started in the fall of 09 it looks like. Right now the Army and Air Force are discussing just what exactly is meant by "The Last Tactical Mile". Still am unsure til I see them on the deck.

[broncoflyer05]

135ASELECT, do you mean active duty Air Force is wholly taking over or just taking over from the Army? Originally I heard this would be a Guard mission and then it sounded like Gates was taking it away and it was going to be AD. What are the bases that are supposedly in the front running for the school house? One last question, where did you hear that the schools would be in place by fall of 2009? It was my understanding the Army has two of these aircraft and the Air Force won't actually get a substantial amount of aircraft until 2012 or so.

[135ASelect]

Bronco, Looks like the Guard is going to be first issue for the C-27. For now the schoolhouse is all up in the air, I've heard it could be in Georgia or Jacksonville, FL. The Georgia base I heard is Warner-Robins. The 135 AS lost their first two Js to Little Rock in June and are on schedule to receive the C-27J by 2012. PM me for more.

[Guest fling]

Schoolhouse will be at Robins, in old ANG B-1 buildings, renovations going on now, should be moved from Waco, TX within the month.