The C-130 Hercules aircraft, which was introduced over half a century ago, is often flown by crew members who are younger than the plane they are flying. And that peculiar arrangement is likely to continue into the foreseeable future, says a new report from the Congressional Research Service.
“The C-130 has been the cornerstone of the U.S. tactical airlift fleet since the late 1950s. Military planners believe that C-130 aircraft provide the United States an edge in achieving national goals. They provide a capability to rapidly deliver forces making conventional deterrence more effective and expanding the ability to provide humanitarian assistance. However, the fleet has aged with some current models being flown by aircrew younger than the aircraft they are flying. As the fleet ages, management issues arise with reduced reliability, obsolescence and reduced parts availability, and changing aviation rules that impact availability of airspace due to obsolete avionics capabilities,” the CRS report said.
See C-130 Hercules: Background, Sustainment, Modernization, Issues for Congress, June 24, 2014.
Other newly updated CRS reports on Navy force structure and related issues include the following.
Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress, June 25, 2014
Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, June 25, 2014
Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, June 25, 2014
Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, June 25, 2014
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress, June 25, 2014
Navy LX(R) Amphibious Ship Program: Background and Issues for Congress, June 25, 2014
Navy TAO(X) Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress, June 25, 2014
Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress, June 25, 2014
With targeted policy interventions, we can efficiently and effectively support the U.S. innovation economy through the translation of breakthrough scientific research from the lab to the market.
Crowd forecasting methods offer a systematic approach to quantifying the U.S. intelligence community’s uncertainty about the future and predicting the impact of interventions, allowing decision-makers to strategize effectively and allocate resources by outlining risks and tradeoffs in a legible format.
The energy transition underway in the United States continues to present a unique set of opportunities to put Americans back to work through the deployment of new technologies, infrastructure, energy efficiency, and expansion of the electricity system to meet our carbon goals.
The United States has the only proven and scalable tritium production supply chain, but it is largely reserved for nuclear weapons. Excess tritium production capacity should be leveraged to ensure the success of and U.S. leadership in fusion energy.