A C-17 flown by airmen deployed to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron in Southwest Asia airdropped about 80,000 pounds of supplies Jan. 14 to help support forward-deployed forces and Afghan residents in the snow-covered mountains. The airlifter crew used the Joint Precision Airdrop Delivery System to get the supplies within a few feet of the target zone. Air Force officials say the accuracy of the JPADS is now within 10 meters.
Every year, Congress and the military debate which combat assets should head to the boneyard and which have more life left in them. Lawmakers often opt to keep Air Force systems that bring jobs to their districts, which complicates matters as the service looks to modernize and ditch certain platforms.…