USAF officials confirmed to lawmakers Wednesday that USAF wants to retire 22 C-5As—17 in Fiscal 2011 and the other five in 2012, if Congress lifts the ban on reducing the C-5 inventory. To meet its new 32.7 million ton miles metric, USAF only needs a max of 304 airframes, but Congress has dictated a floor of 316. In a combined statement, David Van Buren, Lt. Gen. Phillip Breedlove, and Brig. Gen. Richard Johnston, said that USAF expects to provide lawmakers required reports on strategic airlift plans in early summer. The service also owes Congress a report on the C-5 reliability enhancement and re-engining program (RERP) operational test and evaluation that concluded in January and plans to deliver that one in mid to late summer, but service already has reduced its buy of kits for the avionics modernization program, which must precede RERP.
The U.S. military is carrying out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions along the southern border and off the coast of Mexico using U.S. Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint and U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft as part of the Pentagon’s effort to secure the southern border at the direction of President…