The Air Force has confirmed the earlier announcement by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson that Air Force Special Operations Command has passed the environmental hurdle for starting the take-over of Cannon AFB, N.M. AFSOC plans to install Col. Tim Leahy, former vice commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., as the first commander of the new wing at Cannon. The wing will be the 16th SOW. The new wing’s first aircraft will be the MC-130W Combat Spear of the 73rd Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt. The W model Hercules are designated aerial refuelers for the new CV-22 tiltrotors and conduct infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special ops forces.
The Air Force trimmed 120 airplanes from its fleet in fiscal 2021, gaining the most aircraft among its F-35 fighter squadrons and giving up the most from its B-1 bomber units, according to data provided by the Air Force. With puts and takes, the Air Force’s kinetic shooter fleet, not…