Technicians at the Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah, were able to repair a damaged F-16—slated for a one-way ticket out of the active inventory—avoiding several thousand dollars in commercial repair costs and lengthy down time, according to ALC officials. Technicians of the 649th Combat Logistics Support Squadron have the equipment—in this case, what’s called a production fixture that supports the full aircraft as they removed load bearing panels—and expertise “necessary to perform repairs on aircraft that would otherwise be removed from the active inventory,” said 1st Lt. Joshua Holmes, 649th maintenance officer in charge. The fighter had an inch-long crack around one wing-attach bolt, calling for replacement of the left wing closure beam, said Holmes.
After years of experiments and tests, senior Air Force leaders say they're on the verge of using C-17s and other cargo aircraft to launch cruise missiles via airdrop, touting the development as a way to bolster the combat fleet and a major shift in the service’s mindset.