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.
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.