Air Force officials note that the 621st Contingency Response Wing has just celebrated its first birthday. The Air Mobility Command wing, headquartered at McGuire AFB, N.J., got a major workout during its first year, when it took on more than 525 hurricane relief missions in the US and 273 earthquake relief missions in Pakistan. Its primary mission, of course, is to open air bases in forward areas of operation.
Reduced competition, over-reliance on legacy systems, and declining funding are all contributing to a “critical inflection point” in propulsion for the Pentagon and industry members—and things are headed in the wrong direction, the director of the Air Force’s propulsion directorate warned. Speaking with reporters at the Life Cycle Industry Days…