Air Force combat search and rescue has come up with a creative way to free up space in the crowded cabins of their HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters—attach an inflatable rubber raft to the helicopter’s undercarriage. Called the kangaroo duck—for its resemblance to a kangaroo’s joey pouch—the rubber raft provides extra storage space for weapons and supplies and also streamlines water rescue operations. After analyzing lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, the CSAR community discovered they needed the ability to deliver boats to flooded areas—without hogging space in the cabin. “The K-Duck concept alleviates this dilemma, while adding an extra ‘pouch’ to store equipment,” said Lt. Col. Terry Johnson, 38th Rescue Squadron commander. Lt. Col. Lee Pera, 347th Rescue Group deputy commander, added that although the pouch adds up to 1,500 pounds when fully loaded, “there is very little effect on the flying quality.”
The Air Force will look to the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in a closed solicitation that will create the Air Force's first university-affiliated research center (UARC), Air Force leaders said. The center will study tactical autonomy. The DAF will select the center's location from one of 11…