Afghan maintainers at Kandahar Air Base are now certified to conduct 100-hour inspections on Mi-17 transport helicopters after successfully completing their first inspection. Under the close supervision of NATO advisors and a nine-member Afghan team from Kabul, the Kandahar maintainers inspected an Mi-17 airframe, identifying sheet-metal damage to one antenna and a tail-rotor assembly that required replacement due to wear. Following this inspection earlier this month, the wing received the certification to conduct future inspections. This will improve the wing’s aircraft availability by two days per inspection and save five flight hours each time since Afghan airmen will no longer have to fly an Mi-17 to Kabul for the inspection. Kandahar and Kabul are the two Afghan bases certified thus far to conduct these inspections.(Kandahar report by Col. Bernard Mater)
The Space Force is finalizing its first contracts for the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve and plans to award them early in 2025—giving the service access to commercial satellites and other space systems in times of conflict or crisis—officials said Nov. 21.