Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz, head of US Transportation Command, said Monday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference that the 10 additional C-17s likely to be approved by Congress won’t throw a monkey wrench into plans for the Civil Reserve Air Fleet. Schwartz has said that more C-17s would take money away from CRAF contracts, which are needed to supplement the airlift fleet. Schwartz told Air Force Magazine that “my number is about 200” C-17s in total before fleet operating cost starts to dig into CRAF money. With 10 more C-17s the total would stand at 191.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.