For the eighth year in a row, the 432nd Maintenance Group at Creech AFB, Nev., has exceeded Air Combat Command’s standard for keeping remotely piloted aircraft mission-capable, according to its parent unit, the 432nd Wing. This record of achievement has made the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper “some of the most reliable aircraft platforms in the Air Force today,” states the wing’s June 2 release. While ACC’s standard MC rate for RPAs is 86 percent, the MQ-1 achieved a 95.4 percent MC rate and the MQ-9 held a 90.4 percent MC rate in the period from April 2013 to April 2014, states the release. “This high [mission-capable] rate is impressive because of the amount of hours these guys fly,” said a chief master sergeant with the 432nd MXG. “Crews burn up the hours on these planes and we’re still incredibly successful in terms of maintenance,” he said. The maintenance group comprises a mix of more than 400 airmen from across the Total Force and some contractors.
On Oct. 22, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a Nuclear Deterrence Forum featuring Henry Sokolski, executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. The think tank will post event video on its website and YouTube page after the live event. Register here.