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Air Force Weapons School conducted its twice-yearly Mobility Forces Exercise, or MAFEX, at Nellis AFB, Nev., and the Nevada Test and Training Range. Nearly 70 aircraft, mostly C-17s and C-130s, participated in the mass air mobility drill on May 23 to practice a forced-entry operation. US forces had to enter a simulated defended enemy country, defeat air defenses, and put troops on the ground during the exercise, according to a May 24 Nellis release. The participating assets came from bases around the world and were synchronized to arrive on the range as a combined, orchestrated force. The C-130s and C-17s delivered more than 100 paratroopers and supporting equipment in airdrops and landings on an unimproved landing strip, states the release. MAFEX is part of the weapons school’s six-month weapons instructor course.
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.