The Air Force recently airlifted aboard a C-17 the Army’s first “City in a Box” intended to provide a tent city for 150 soldiers. The Army Soldier Systems Center developed this latest Force Provider package using an expanding canister system designed to fit on one C-17 airlifter. The center worked with the 436th Aerial Port Squadron at Dover AFB, Del., on this first 150-soldier FP package and numerous original 550-soldier tent city packages, moving 1,500 tons of equipment over a 10-day period. They sent off the last 550-soldier FP in this latest deployment on March 4.
The Air Force overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.