Article

2013-10-08 Science & Technology

New Air Force Italian Built Cargo Planes Fly Straight into Mothballs

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Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2013-10-08 10:46|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top

#1 The C-27J has the unique capability of taking off and landing on crude runways

Which of course the ground forces need, but doesn't fit the Fighter Mafia's agenda. Form a Strategic Command like the Russians, put the bombers/missiles/etc in there and return to the old Army Air Corps - air/ground support like the Marines have in house.

Posted by Procopius2k 2013-10-08 11:43|| 2013-10-08 11:43|| Front Page Top

#2 And yes, the Army wanted these aircraft but the AF lobbied Congress to cut them out of the purchase. And instead of giving them to the Army the mothball the aircraft.

Posted by tipover 2013-10-08 12:07|| 2013-10-08 12:07|| Front Page Top

#3 These aircraft were supposed to go to the Army in the first place, right?

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2013-10-08 12:15|| 2013-10-08 12:15|| Front Page Top

#4 I think you have all overlooked and important reason for the planes being mothballed straight off the assembly line .... All the maintenance and flight instructions are written in Italian

or Tutte le istruzioni di volo e di manutenzione sono scritti in italiano

Posted by Au Auric 2013-10-08 13:42|| 2013-10-08 13:42|| Front Page Top

#5 Plane - Cockpit:

Posted by Au Auric 2013-10-08 13:56|| 2013-10-08 13:56|| Front Page Top

#6 It'sa durn Tea Party, holding up the ...sequester ... or debt ceiling ... or the shutdown ... or sumpin like that, so that fat cats can get richer, blah, blah, blah.

Posted by Bobby 2013-10-08 14:07|| 2013-10-08 14:07|| Front Page Top

#7 Something like 200 units split to AF, Army and foreign sales. See RAIT airshow.
Fondly known as the plane that Bob Drewes built.
Or maybe the one that broke him, as he retired and key staff resigned within weeks of the award.

Posted by Skidmark 2013-10-08 14:09|| 2013-10-08 14:09|| Front Page Top

#8 Fine looking aircraft.

Posted by Shipman 2013-10-08 16:16|| 2013-10-08 16:16|| Front Page Top

#9 Looks like a baby C130. Its probably ideal for spoke and hub support of FOBs from a central airbase where the heavies fly in to the hub, and these do the tactical resupply. Army would glady have flown them. These should be at Ft Rucker. Damn Zoomies.

Posted by OldSpook 2013-10-08 16:29|| 2013-10-08 16:29|| Front Page Top

#10 Army should borrow them and convert them to drones so the Air-farce doesn't get to ruin things for them.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2013-10-08 16:52|| 2013-10-08 16:52|| Front Page Top

#11 Gen. Raymond Odierno:

We the Army has a stated requirement for intra- theater lift which we need in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, and weve discussed this over time. The Army has the C-23 Sherpa program which, frankly, is getting old and, frankly, will no longer be capable of doing the mission we need it to do in the future. However, so weve defined this requirement.

The Air Force has come back and said, We can meet all of your intra-theater lift requirements with the C-130. So we have worked with them to develop concepts that will put C-130s in direct support of Army units in order to meet these requirements.

So I I would just answer your question by saying we identified the requirement for intra-theater lift. C-27 was one solution. The Air Force has come back and said we can solve this problem using the C-130. So we are working with them to come up with the procedures in order for us to solve this problem using the C-130.

Posted by Uncle Phester 2013-10-08 17:50|| 2013-10-08 17:50|| Front Page Top

#12 coincidental article in the san Diego news paper
(http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Officials-Seek-Old-Military-Planes-to-Fight-Fires-226968761.html)

speaks about a solicitation to the DoD for 'out of use' aircraft for fire fighters and they specifically mention the C-27.

Posted by USN,Ret. 2013-10-08 23:01|| 2013-10-08 23:01|| Front Page Top

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