DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Top 10 Strongest Air Forces Of The world

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Top 10 Strongest Air Forces Of The world
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Topyaps - earthwit on April 5, 2011
 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 8, 2012: Till the date, choosing a list of ten strongest air forces across the world is very debatable subject. This topic always blows up with innumerable disputations and squall between Internet users. Yet still, one can’t controvert the  maneuverability of these sky rulers, based on their nationality. Topyaps puts up a list of ten deadliest ‘peace-makers’, according to their abilities of strategy, firepower and intelligence inputs.

10. Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Japan):

The aviation branch of Japan Self-Defense Force, JASDF is one of the sharpest tool, made for the defense-oriented policy of Japan. After World War II, JASDF was planted in 1954, as an unified form of Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. With an impeccable array of ultramodern radar systems and combat air patrols, JASDF is better known for its assaulter squadrons.

9. Royal Australian Air Force (Australia):

Comparatively small but tremendously deadly, RAAF was established on March 31, 1921, and till the date it has majorly participated in some of the deadliest conflicts of 20th century. Comprising a powerful fighter fleet along with sophisticated technology, RAAF is credited for immediately  implementing the kinetic and non-kinetic air effects.

8. Luftwaffe (Germany):

One of the most striking air force with the trail of top-notch pilots, Luftwaffe was established in 1935, after violating the Treaty of Versailles. During the World War II, this air force overshadowed the skies of Europe and defeated its foreign counterparts with much more advancements. Most of the pilots of Luftwaffe are trained either in United States or in Canada. The tactical training centers of this air force are located at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico and Canadian Forces Air Command base at Goose Bay.

7. Indian Air Force (India):

Considered as one of the best equipped air force across the world along with professional standards, the IAF was founded on October 8, 1932, and since then it has been in the limelight of mainstream media for its logical expansion and modernization. It is also the fourth largest air force in the world with approximately 170,000 personnel and 1,500 aircrafts.

6. Armée de l’Air (France):

Founded in 1909 as the air force of the French Armed Forces, Armée de l’Air is considered as the world’s first professional air force. Buff of technological developments, methodical defensive strategies and straightforward doctrine of ruling skies, this air force is better known for comprising new generation multirole combat airplanes. In current scenario, France possesses an impressive status in international aircraft industry. It is well known for inventing the Mirage series of Jet Fighters, one of the most admired aircraft in the history of military aviation.

5. People’s Liberation Army Air Force (China):

With a long list of more than 330,000 personnel and 2,500+ aircrafts, PLAAF is the largest air force in Asia and is better known for comprising some of the deadliest self-reliance combat aircrafts. Officially founded on November 11, 1949, the Chinese air force consists qualitative edge with lethal approach in the modern arena of air striking.

4. Royal Air Force (United Kingdom):

The kingpin of British Military history and the decision maker of world’s greatest conflicts, RAF is the oldest air force of the world which is renowned for its strategic bombing. RAF was founded during the World war I, on April 1, 1918, by the unification of the Royal Naval Air Services and Royal Flying Corps.

3. Israeli Air Force (Israel):

Don’t mess with Israel. The great granddaddy of combat with defensive set of mind, this deadliest air force constitutes the crew of atrocious pilots with unparalleled equipment resources. Shuffle through the history and you’ll realize that this air force has repeatedly exhibited its superordinate ability to whack down the opponents.

2. Russian Air Force (Russia):

The characteristics of Russian air power is still undetermined. With amazingly effective doctrine and mechanized defense, the Russian Air Force possesses the ability to maneuver in any kind of terrain. Notable for implementing beyond-the-limit strategy with weirdest technologies, this air force founded after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991-92.

1. United States Air Force (America):

Ruler of the technology horizon along with conceptions apparently picked from the futuristic script of a Hollywood flick, the USAF was founded on September 11, 1947, with the motto No One Comes Close. The undisputed magnet of air, space and cyberspace in the current scenario, this air force owns the largest number of warplanes in the world which almost equals to the rest of the world put together.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Topyaps - earthwit on April 5, 2011
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*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated February 7, 2012

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated February 7, 2012

 Source: U.S. DoD issued No. 083-12 February 7, 2012

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 7, 2012: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued  February  7, 2012 are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY

            Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., Springdale, Ark., is being awarded an indefinite-delivery, requirements type contract to provide fresh beef products for resale at multiple delivery locations throughout the Defense Commissary Agency’s central and east area commissaries to include the following states:  Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, District of Columbia, Alabama, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.  The estimated award amount is $260,832,802.  Contractor will deliver fresh beef products to the store locations as needed.  The contract is for a 24-month base period beginning March 1, 2012 through Feb. 28, 2014.  Three one-year option periods are available.  If all three option periods are exercised, the contract will be completed Feb. 28, 2017.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Nineteen firms were solicited and three offers were received.  The Defense Commissary Agency, Resale Contracting Directorate, Resale Commodities Division, Fort Lee, Va., is the contracting activity (HDEC02-12-D-0007).

            National Beef Packing Co., Kansas City, Mo., is being awarded an indefinite-delivery, requirements type contract to provide fresh beef products for resale at multiple delivery locations throughout the Defense Commissary Agency’s central and east area commissaries to include the following states:  Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi.  The estimated award amount is $114,815,275.  Contractor will deliver fresh beef products to the store locations as needed.  The contract is for a 24-month base period beginning March 1, 2012 through Feb. 28, 2014.  Three one-year option periods are available.  If all three option periods are exercised, the contract will be completed Feb. 28, 2017.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Nineteen firms were solicited and three offers were received.  The Defense Commissary Agency, Resale Contracting Directorate, Resale Commodities Division, Fort Lee, Va., is the contracting activity (HDEC02-12-D-0006).

            Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., Springdale, Ark., is being awarded an indefinite-delivery, requirements type contract to provide fresh beef products for resale at multiple delivery locations throughout the Defense Commissary Agency’s central and east area commissaries to include the following locations:  Puerto Rico and NEXCOM, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  The estimated award amount is $6,931,093.  Contractor will deliver fresh beef products to the store locations as needed.  The contract is for a 24-month base period beginning March 1, 2012 through Feb. 28, 2014.  Three one-year option periods are available.  If all three option periods are exercised, the contract will be completed Feb. 28, 2017.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Nineteen firms were solicited and three offers were received.  The Defense Commissary Agency, Resale Contracting Directorate, Resale Commodities Division, Fort Lee, Va., is the contracting activity (HDEC02-12-D-0005).

NAVY

            Cherokee Medical Services, L.L.C.*, Stilwell, Okla. (N62645-12-D-5016); Godwin Corp.*, Langley Park, Md. (N62645-12-D-5017); Innovative Healthcare, J.V.*, Honolulu, Hawaii (N62645-12-D-5018); Magnum Opus Technologies, Inc.*, San Antonio, Texas (N62645-12-D-5019); and Professional Performance Development Group, Inc.*, San Antonio, Texas (N62645-12-D-5020), are each being awarded a firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award task order contract to provide multi-disciplinary health care workers, such as, physicians, allied health, advance practice nurses, nurses, technologists, technicians, and assistants, to support military treatment facilities in the northeast United States.  The aggregate not-to-exceed amount for these multiple award contracts combined is $99,812,443 and the companies will have the opportunity to bid on each individual task order.  Work will be performed in Naval Health Clinic, Quantico, Va. (38 percent); Naval Hospital, Great Lakes, Ill. (19 percent); Naval Health Clinic, Annapolis, Md. (10 percent); Branch Health Clinic, Groton, Conn. (12 percent); Branch Health Clinic, Newport, R.I. (9 percent); Branch Health Clinic, Portsmouth, N.H. (3 percent); Naval Health Clinic, Patuxent River, Md. (3 percent); Branch Health Clinic, Washington Navy Yard, D.C. (1 percent); Branch Health Clinic, Indian Head, Md. (1 percent); Branch Health Clinic, Dahlgren, Va. (1 percent); Branch Health Clinic, Earl, N.J. (1 percent); Branch Health Clinic, Sarasota Springs, N.Y. (1 percent); and branch health clinics at Fort Meade, Md., Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Arlington Annex, Va., Mechanicsburg, Pa., Philadelphia, Pa., Willow Grove, Pa., and Sugar Grove, W.Va. (1 percent).  Work performed under these contracts, with options exercised, is expected to be completed by June 30, 2017.  Funding is predominantly from the Defense Health Program; however, other funding initiatives such as Psychological Health/Traumatic Brain Injury, Overseas Contingency Operations and Wounded, Ill, and Injured may be used.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  These contracts were solicited via a multiple award electronic request for proposals as a 100-percent small business set-aside; 44 offers were received.  The Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Md. is the contracting activity.

            Cortana Corp.*, Falls Church, Va., is being awarded a $7,275,000 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-09-C-0028) to exercise an option for the research and development of sensors and systems in support of the Advanced Sensor Application Program and the Remote Environmental Sensor Program.  Sensors and systems support a variety of naval aviation missions, including air-undersea warfare, defense suppression, electronic attack, naval warfare and amphibious, strike and anti-surface warfare.  Work will be performed in Falls Church, Va., and is expected to be completed in January 2013.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE

            The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $18,300,000 cost-plus-incentive-fee and firm-fixed-priced items contract for an acceleration effort, regression testing, and a fuze risk reduction effort.  The location of the performance is Saint Louis, Mo.  Work is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2013.  AAC/EDBK/EDBJ, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8681-09-C-0280, P00030).

            The Boeing Co., Newark, Ohio, is being awarded a $6,600,000 cost-plus-award-fee contract to provide for Minuteman III guidance system repair.  The location of the performance is Newark, Ohio.  Work is expected to be completed by April 30, 2013.  OO-ALC/AFNWC/PKME, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (F42610-99-D-0006-0064).

*Small business

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Source: U.S. DoD issued No. 083-12 February 7, 2012
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: BAE May Cut Typhoon Price To Win India Order

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: BAE May Cut Typhoon Price To Win India Order
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources The Telegraph - UK
 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 7, 2012: BAE Systems is considering lowering the price of its Eurofighter Typhoon to win back an $11bn (£7bn) Indian contract from France’s Dassault.

Ian King, BAE’s chief executive, said the company was considering a range of options to secure the deal to supply fighter jets, which could help prevent a major industrial setback for Britain.

A source close to the company said BAE was consulting with its partners in Germany, Italy and Spain to see what was feasible in the coming days and weeks.

India had previously changed its mind on defence contracts, the source said, adding there was “still some way to go” before any decisions by the country had been made.

The insider insisted the contract was still up for grabs, with Dassault’s Rafale only having been named as the lowest-priced compliant bidder rather than being awarded the contract.

The Government’s drive to kickstart growth and rebalance the economy towards advanced manufacturing suffered a blow last month when the Indian government named the French manufacturer as its preferred partner for the deal.

Trade union Unite warned the selection of the Rafale could have "serious implications" for BAE Systems and the UK aerospace industry. It is estimated that 40,000 UK jobs are supported by the project.

Winning the Indian contract would help sustain tens of thousands of jobs, although production is expected to gradually move to India if Britain won the deal.

BAE currently has enough orders for the Typhoon to maintain work until 2017.

The Typhoon is made by Britain's BAE, European giant EADS, and Italy's Finmeccanica. The UK accounts for 37.5pc of production with the aircraft assembled at BAE's aerospace facilities in Lancashire and suppliers including GKN, Ultra Electronics and Rolls-Royce.

Last year, BAE cut 3,000 jobs in the UK, partly because it had won fewer export orders for the Typhoon than planned.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources The Telegraph - UK
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DTN News - AFGHANISTAN NEWS: Afghanistan - Moving Toward A Distant Endgame

DTN News - AFGHANISTAN NEWS: Afghanistan - Moving Toward A Distant Endgame
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources  By George Friedman - Stratfor
 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 7, 2012:  U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta suggested last week that the United States could wrap up combat operations in Afghanistan by the end of 2013, well before the longstanding 2014 deadline when full control is to be ceded to Kabul. Troops would remain in Afghanistan until 2014, as agreed upon at the 2010 Lisbon Summit, and would be engaged in two roles until at least 2014 and perhaps even later. One role would be continuing the training of Afghan security forces. The other would involve special operations troops carrying out capture or kill operations against high-value targets.

Along with this announcement, the White House gave The New York Times some details on negotiations that have been under way with the Taliban. According to the Times, Mullah Mohammad Omar, the senior-most leader of the Afghan Taliban, last summer made overtures to the White House offering negotiations. An intermediary claiming to speak for Mullah Omar delivered the proposal, an unsigned document purportedly from Mullah Omar that could not be established as authentic. The letter demanded the release of some Taliban prisoners before any talks. In spite of the ambiguities, which included a recent public denial by the Taliban that the offer came from Mullah Omar, U.S. officials, obviously acting on other intelligence, regarded the proposal as both authentic and representative of the views of the Taliban leadership and, in all likelihood, those of Mullah Omar, too.

The idea of negotiating with the Taliban is not new. Talks, as distinct from negotiations, in which specific terms are hammered out, have gone on for some time now. Several previous attempts have ended in failure, including one instance when the supposed representative proved to be a fraud. However, according to the Times report, the negotiations took on a degree of specificity last summer. They began in November 2010, initiated by a man named Tayyab Agha, who claimed to speak for Mullah Omar. The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama regards authenticating the present offer as unimportant and the intermediary as having authority; the question on the table is the release of Taliban captives as a token of American seriousness.

The Taliban see themselves as already having made a major concession. Their original demand was the complete withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan as a precondition for negotiations. The talks have continued in spite of the U.S. refusal to comply. The Taliban shifted their position to a very specific timetable for withdrawal, something Panetta may have been hinting at last week, though not on a timetable to the Taliban's liking. Two more years of combat operations -- not to mention an unspecified time in which U.S. special operations forces will continue working in Afghanistan -- is a long time. In addition, the United States has not delivered on the release of the Taliban, an issue that has not emerged as a campaign issue in the U.S. presidential election.

Still, U.S. operations have become less aggressive. This is in part due to the season: It is winter in Afghanistan, a time of year when large-scale operations are not practical in many areas. At the same time, we are not seeing the level of operations we have seen in previous winters after Obama increased the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. This in part reflects a realization of the limits of U.S. military power in Afghanistan. Regardless of the motive, the Taliban interpret it as a signal -- and it is understood in Washington as a signal, too.

The Pakistani-Taliban Channel

To get negotiations going, the United States had to reach two conclusions. The first was that negotiations could not happen without Pakistani involvement. U.S. accusations that current and former military figures in Pakistan maintained close ties with the Taliban undoubtedly were true. Conversely, this meant Pakistan represented a clear channel the United States could use to reach the Taliban. That channel permitted the Obama administration to conclude that it had no hope of meaningfully dividing the Taliban.

Certainly, the Taliban are an operationally diffuse group. Even so, Mullah Omar is at their center, with the political operatives surrounding him representing the political office of the Taliban. The line of communications with the Taliban runs through Pakistan and terminates with Mullah Omar. This means that U.S. hopes of splitting the Taliban politically and conducting factional negotiations are not realistic. Particularly after a series of attacks and suicide bombings in Kabul last fall, it also became apparent that the United States would not be able to manage negotiations at arm's length using Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his advisers as the primary channel.

The Pakistanis and the Taliban also had to face certain realities. The Taliban had claimed that the United States and its allies in Afghanistan had lost. This underpinned their demand for an immediate U.S. withdrawal; their offer to permit this without harassment was made under the assumption that the United States had a defeated military force at risk.

The reality was that, while the United States had not won the war in Afghanistan and in all likelihood could not defeat the Taliban militarily, it was far from defeated. The United States remained, and remains, able to conduct operations in Afghanistan as and where it wishes. The Taliban have not reached the point where they can operationally defeat the forces arrayed against them. Where large Western forces exist, the Taliban must decline combat and disengage or be annihilated. As important, there is no overwhelming pressure from the American public to withdraw -- something not true of some U.S. allies. However, in this election, Obama is likely to be challenged by candidates supporting his position in Afghanistan or wanting a more aggressive stance. Mitt Romney, for example, not only rejected the idea of releasing Taliban fighters, but also said in response to a question that his strategy in Afghanistan was to "beat them." 

The United States could hypothetically remain in Afghanistan indefinitely given the current cost and force structure. But we would argue that defeating a guerrilla force with sanctuary and support across the border in Pakistan, an excellent intelligence capability and units able to operate independently is unlikely. But neither, for that matter, can the Taliban defeat the coalition forces.

Stalemate in Afghanistan

This makes for a stalemate, one the Americans hope to solve by creating an Afghan state under Karzai and a security and military force able and willing to engage the Taliban. As I have argued in the past, the core problem with this plan is the same problem that existed during the Vietnamization phase of the Vietnam War. The Afghan military must recruit troops, and some of the most eager volunteers will be Taliban operatives. These operatives will be indistinguishable from anti-Taliban soldiers, and their presence will have two consequences. First, the intelligence they will provide the Taliban will cause the Afghan army offensive to fail. Second, shrewd use of these operatives will undermine the cohesion and morale of the Afghan forces. Surprise is crucial in locating, engaging and destroying a guerrilla force. Afghan security forces will face the same problem the South Vietnamese army did; namely, they will lack the element of surprise and at least some of their units will be unreliable.

Accordingly, the U.S. strategy of using the stalemate to construct a capable military force accordingly looks unlikely to succeed even leaving aside the issue of the fragmentation of the Afghan nation and the Karzai government's internal problems. The Taliban are intimately familiar with the U.S. dilemma and are positioned to choose from two strategies. One is to increase their tempo of operations and so increase American casualties prior to the November elections. But this strategy would see Taliban casualties increase even more dramatically, and its impact on the elections would be unclear to say the least. The Taliban are more likely to pursue the second strategy, which involves accepting the stalemate and permitting the United States to try to build an Afghan military.

Like the Taliban, the United States is aware of the difficulty of building an Afghan army. It also understands that deploying troops in Afghanistan is unlikely to lead anywhere. It does not have to flee defeat in Afghanistan, but there are strategic reasons for leaving, beginning with the fact that the military situation is about as satisfactory as it likely ever will be. Improving the situation would incur costs without yielding anything like victory. With the United States reducing its military budget, serious issues emerging in Iran and throughout the Arab World, and a new emphasis by the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force on the Pacific, the world is moving on. A violent yet frozen conflict in Afghanistan simply does not benefit the United States.

This, of course, leaves a crucial question: Will Afghanistan become a base for al Qaeda or follow-on transnational jihadist groups in the event of a U.S. withdrawal? It is true that these groups can form anywhere, but the fact is that they did form in Afghanistan while Mullah Omar was in charge. The negotiators undoubtedly have promised that, in exchange for withdrawal, they will take responsibility for suppressing jihadist elements. But trusting the Taliban, or trusting those in Pakistan who took violent offense at the killing of Osama bin Laden, poses obvious risks for the United States. In truth, it does not increase the risk much: Afghanistan is not necessary for the jihadists, but it is naturally fragmented and the threat of its re-emergence as a sanctuary is always there. Even so, the issue will remain a sticking point in the negotiations. The United States will want a residual force to deal with the jihadist threat, something the Taliban and Pakistan will oppose.

The Pakistani Role

In this sense, the negotiations really come down to Pakistan and the burden it is willing to undertake in the event of a U.S. withdrawal.

The United States does not trust the Taliban or many of those Pakistani officials speaking to and for the Taliban. But the United States also knows two things. First, that the future of Afghanistan is of fundamental interest to Pakistan. Instability or Indian or Iranian influence in Pakistan is not in Pakistan's interest. Therefore, the Pakistanis will play a leading role in Afghanistan as they did after the end of the Soviet occupation. Second, the United States knows that India remains Pakistan's major adversary. The Pakistanis have tried to play the China card to make the United States nervous about Pakistan. But the fact is that the Chinese People's Liberation Army does not have the training and logistics to support Pakistan against India, and the last thing Pakistan wants is a large Chinese military deployment in Pakistan. Indeed, that is the last thing China wants.

The issue over time will boil down to this: The United States will want a coalition government in which Taliban elements take Cabinet positions in the current structure of the Karzai regime. The Taliban will want an entirely new government in which elements of the existing power structure (Karzai has promised not to seek a third term when his current one ends in 2014) might have a position but that would be an altogether new regime. In either case, the Taliban assume, as the North Vietnamese assumed a generation ago, that a political settlement followed by a U.S. withdrawal would, after a "decent interval," result in a Taliban-dominated regime.

Ultimately, the United States could remain in Afghanistan indefinitely and there is nothing the Taliban could do about it. But the United States cannot defeat the Taliban. The Taliban have nowhere to go and no desire to leave. The United States has other issues to attend to and no overriding strategic interest in Afghanistan. From the American point of view, its presence in Afghanistan does not reduce Islamist threats to the homeland but it does absorb military resources.

What the United States is engaged in now, as it was in 1971, is the complex process of crafting a political path from the current situation to the inevitable end. This isn't easy, since the manner in which the United States withdraws will influence its position in the region as much as its indefinite presence would. This is why the administration is so eager to pursue the current initiative and prepared to release prisoners as a gesture. It is also why the Taliban will accept a coalition government for a while, and why Pakistan will make and likely honor guarantees.

However this war is brought to an end will be a complex and time-consuming process, during which the fighting will continue. But then the how is never trivial in ending a war.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By George Friedman - Stratfor
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DTN News - LOCKHEED MARTIN DEFENSE NEWS: Eleventh C-5B Inducted To Become Super Galaxy

DTN News - LOCKHEED MARTIN DEFENSE NEWS: Eleventh C-5B Inducted To Become Super Galaxy
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Lockheed Martin
 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 7, 2012: Lockheed Martin inducted the 11th aircraft to the C-5M Super Galaxy production line on Feb. 1, 2012. 

Based at Dover Air Force Base, Del., this aircraft has supported the warfighter’s operations across the globe. It has delivered cargo in locations such as Iraq, Italy, Germany, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Spain and Turkey. 

Aircraft 86-0017 has accumulated more than 18,000 flight hours and more than 4,300 full-stop landings

Mission The C-5 Galaxy is one of the largest aircraft in the world and the largest airlifter in the Air Force inventory. The aircraft can carry a fully equipped combat-ready military unit to any point in the world on short notice and then provide the supplies required to help sustain the fighting force. 

Features 
The C-5 has a greater capacity than any other airlifter. It has the ability to carry 36 standard pallets and 81 troops simultaneously. The Galaxy is also capable of carrying any of the Army's air-transportable combat equipment, including such bulky items as the 74-ton mobile scissors bridge. It can also carry outsize and oversize cargo over intercontinental ranges and can take off or land in relatively short distances. Ground crews are able to load and off-load the C-5 simultaneously at the front and rear cargo openings, reducing cargo transfer times. Other features of the C-5 are: 
   · Able to operate on runways 6,000 feet long (1,829 meters).
   · Five landing gear totaling 28 wheels to distribute the weight. 
   · Nose and aft doors that open the full width and height of the cargo    
     compartment to permit faster and easier loading. 
   · A "kneeling" landing gear system that permits lowering the parked 
     aircraft to facilitate drive-on/drive-off vehicle loading and adjusts the 
     cargo floor to standard truck-bed height. 
   · Full width drive-on ramps at each end for loading double rows of 
     vehicles. 
   · A system that records and analyzes information and detects 
     malfunctions in more than 800 test points. 

The C-5 has the distinctive high T-tail, 25-degree wing sweep, and four TF39 turbofan engines (C-5A and B) mounted on pylons beneath the wings. These engines are each rated at 43,000 pounds of thrust and weigh 7,900 pounds (3,555 kilograms) a piece. They have an air intake diameter of more than 8.5 feet (2.6 meters). Each engine pod is nearly 27 feet long (8.2 meters).

The Galaxy has 12 internal wing tanks with a total capacity of 51,150 gallons (194,370 liters) of fuel -- enough to fill 6 1/2 regular size railroad tank cars. A full fuel load weighs 332,500 pounds (150,820 kilograms). A C-5 with a cargo load of 270,000 pounds (122,472 kilograms) can fly 2,150 nautical miles, offload, and fly to a second base 500 nautical miles away from the original destination -- all without aerial refueling. With aerial refueling, the aircraft's range is limited only by crew endurance.

BackgroundLockheed-Georgia Co. delivered the first operational Galaxy to the 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, now known as Joint Base Charleston, S.C., in June l970. C-5s are operated by active-duty, Reserve, and Air National Guard crews. They are currently stationed at Dover AFB, Del.; Travis AFB, Calif.; Lackland AFB, Texas; Martinsburg ANGB, W.V.; Memphis ANGB, Tenn. and Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.

In March 1989, the last of 50 C-5Bs was added to the 76 C-5As in the Air Force's airlift force structure. The C-5B includes all C-5A improvements as well as more than 100 additional system modifications to improve reliability and maintainability. 

Based on a study showing 80 percent of the C-5 airframe service life remaining, AMC began an aggressive program to modernize the C-5 in 1998. The C-5 Avionics Modernization Program included upgrading the avionics to improve communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management compliance. The upgrade also added new safety equipment and installed a new autopilot system.

Another part of the C-5 modernization plan is a comprehensive Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program. The centerpiece of this program is the General Electric CF6-80C2 (F-138) commercial engine. This engine delivers a 22 percent increase in thrust, a 30 percent shorter take-off roll, has a 58 percent faster climb rate and will allow significantly more cargo to be carried over longer distances. With its new engine and upgrades, the C-5 becomes the C-5M Super Galaxy. This modernization program will enhance aircraft reliability and maintainability, maintain structural and system integrity, reduce cost of ownership and increase operational capability well into the 21st century.

Media Contact:

Chad E. Gibson
Office:             770-494-3847      
Mobile:             678-761-4623      

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Lockheed Martin
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