Staff photo by Guy Aceto

Evolving theater airlift requirements are forcing USAF to re-evaluate its organization and equipment needs.

40 LocalAIR FORCE Magazine / September 1998 Lift heater airlift may have finally T found a permanent home. Having been passed back and forth between airlift and warfighting commands since World War II, the theater lift commu- nity has been adopted by , and the relationship, now in its second year, seems healthy. While there are still some bugs to be worked out, the mission and the tools needed to accomplish it are getting renewed attention and priority. In fact, while other mission areas throughout the Air Force will con- tinue to struggle with ever-lengthening equipment age, theater lift assets will actually modernize ahead of schedule, and a long-term plan recently approved by the Air Staff calls for consistent improvements that should keep intra- theater lift mechanically sound for the foreseeable future. The theater lift force—dominated by the C-130 Hercules fleet—joined AMC “a little over a year ago, and that is work- ing out very well,” according to Brig. Gen. Duncan J. McNabb, commander of AMC’s ­er Airlift Control Center at Scott AFB, Ill. Addressing a June AFA symposium in St. Louis, McNabb noted that the “repatriation” of C-130s to AMC was undertaken to foster a more “seam- less” air mobility structure. Theater airlift had been within the purview of the old Air Trans- port Service, or MATS, from the Ko- rean War into the Vietnam era, when Tactical Air Command took it over. The reasoning at the time was that TAC, as the main player in Southeast Asia, should have control over intratheater, or “tactical,” assets. The arrangement stuck until after Vietnam, when Military Airlift Command took over the theater lift role to more efficiently manage peacetime usage of the C-130s.

By John A. Tirpak, Senior Editor

At left is the flight deck of a C-130 Hercules, still the workhorse of theater airlift after more than 30 years.

Local AIRLift FORCE Magazine / September 1998 41 in when off-loaded cargo is ready to be transshipped to its next, and usually final, destination. Crews and maintainers will often be located at an austere site where Photo Carlson Ted by the C-130, but few other airlifters, can operate. In the , C-130s operated out of Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf sites, flying into the Saudi port city of Dhahran for pickups and carrying the materiel to wherever it was needed in the region. The cargo is varied. “We carry food, artillery shells, mis- siles, Army troops, trucks, medical supplies, the mail—you name it,” said one C-130 pilot. With its rough-field capability, the C-130 can carry its cargo Two years ago, most of USAF’s C-130s transferred to AMC to provide a “seamless” directly to the front lines. While that is structure. Some still belong to USAFE and PACAF, but AMC handles repair and usually avoided in the heat of battle, C- upgrade requirements for all Hercules aircraft. 130s can and sometimes will fly directly into a live-fire situation if the need is After the War “Straw man” plans covering theater great enough. After the 1991 Gulf War, and the lift needs and deployment are already dissolution of TAC and MAC, the new in place for most world trouble spots, Blue and Green Air Combat Command assumed the and a particular unit or group of units The Air Force’s theater airlift force theater lift portfolio, based on wartime are usually designated in the plan as dedicates much of its capability to the experience and the necessity of fitting the first to go. Advance teams go to the Army, which needs the to tactical lift into a theater air tasking designated operating sites and determine move soldiers or drop paratroops and order. Subsequently, the need for a what must be brought and what can be to haul lighter vehicles and all the gear unified chain of command for train- left behind. and consumables necessary for quick ing, program management, logistics, Once units receive the “go” order, they movement in the war zone. Army Gen. and operations mandated yet another virtually self-deploy to the theater, taking H. Norman Schwarz­kopf’s famous “left change, and the C-130 fleet joined Air along most of the equipment and some of hook” maneuver in the Gulf War was Mobility Command in April 1997. the personnel they will need to operate made possible in large part by C-130s The transfer isn’t complete, even from forward bases. Contrary to some shuttling troops from initial garrisons to today. Because of the unique day-to-day popular notions, they do not transport any their invasion start points. These were, requirements of moving cargo around warfighting equipment—such as Army often as not, roads or mere dirt landing overseas, not all theater lift assets be- troops or vehicles—from the continental strips. long to AMC. Pacific Air Forces and US to a theater of operations. “I sometimes think we speak ‘Army’ US Air Forces in Europe each “own” a “We don’t bring anything to the theater better than we speak ‘Air Force,’ ” one squadron of 12–16 C-130s, to be used except ourselves,” one pilot pointed out. C-130 veteran observed. “We have to for the command’s own short-haul lift Moreover, moving a C-130 unit to a know how to talk to those guys so we needs. McNabb noted that “we work that contingency will require some backup can understand what they need from us.” very closely to make sure the overall lift of C-141s, C-5s, or C-17s to carry ad- The main example of the C-130- airlift [system] is seamless, indeed.” ditional personnel and gear to the forward and-Army cooperation can be seen at Just as ACC manages the supply, operating location. Pope AFB, N.C., where Air Force units repair, equipage, and upgrade of fighters “Think of it as deploying a fighter constantly provide airplanes to train “belonging” to PACAF and USAFE, squadron,” one C-130 pilot suggested. the paratroopers at the Army’s nearby AMC does the same for the C-130s “You need some help to get over and Ft. Bragg. under those commands. set up.” During the Gulf War, theater lift forces The C-130s go into action when C-130s will not typically set up shop not only brought items to forward areas requested by regional commanders in at a major airport receiving large stra- but also carried back many things— chief. A number of squadrons may be tegic transport airplanes from CONUS. broken parts, sick and injured dispatched, depending on the nature Ramp space at these facilities is usually troops, and, of course, the mail. During of the contingency; as few as a dozen at a premium and must be given over to the Gulf War, a common load item was airplanes or as many as a dozen squad- the “heavies.” Theater lift forces will set rotor blades; blowing desert rons will deploy. In the Gulf War, 149 up somewhere nearby—usually within sand tended to delaminate their edges, C-130s were sent to that region. two hours’ flying time—and only come and the Army ran through new rotors for 42 AIR FORCE Magazine / September 1998 their forward-based attack, scout, and C-130 Performance Variations utility at a high rate. Wartime theater airlift is the primary Capability or Capacity C-130E C-130H C-130J C-130J-30 mission of the “slick” C-130, meaning the Cruise speed (knots) 280 300 340 340 cargo version. Airplanes are “chopped” Max. payload (pounds) 39,000 39,000 41,700 39,300 to the Joint Task Force commander in Max. payload range (n.m.) 1,860 1,745 2,450 2,450 the event of war. In turn, the JTF com- Max. effort takeoff roll (feet) 3,300 3,000 1,950 1,950 mander’s air boss—the role filled by Paratrooper capacity 64 64 64 92 then–Lt. Gen. Charles A. Horner in the Troop seats 92 92 92 128 Cargo floor length (feet) 40 40 40 55 Gulf War—gives the C-130s their orders. Litter capacity 74 74 74 97 “We never belong to AMC during 463L pallets 5 5 5 7 a war,” a C-130 programmer noted. Container delivery system bundles 16 16 16 24 In situations such as Southern Watch, Min. runway length (feet) 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 where there is no fighting but hostilities Min. runway width (feet) 60 60 60 60 Min. runway taxiway (feet) 45 45 45 45 are always imminent, deployed slicks belong to the theater commander in chief. Note: The C-130J-30 is a proposed stretched version of the C-130J.

Busy Crews Like their fighter counterparts, C-130 crews are busy, and every effort is being made to share the burden with considerable Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command capability in theater lift. Some Guard and Reserve units, which have a higher percentage of “full-time” participants, may volunteer Lockheed Martin photo by John Rossino for such deployments. Other units, where the number of full-time participants is not so large, will not be called for such duty unless certain certifications are made by the President that the nation is indeed at war or imminently going to war. In Bosnian operations, which alone could consume all the capacity of USAFE’s C-130 squadrons, stateside units are rotated into the theater for The new C-130J, shown here in a max power takeoff, offers major improvements deployments of about 45 to 65 days and over its predecessors. Despite heavy congressional backing, it is currently low on during that time are chopped to USAFE. USAF’s priority list. Such assignments, based as they are on volunteerism, are planned well in advance. Though deploying C-130s always chop duties, no such plan has been approved, “We practice this on a regular basis,” to the theater commander, longer-legged he said. a C-130 pilot noted. “We can get out of C-141s or C-5s involved in theater lift Although the transition from ACC town in 24 to 48 hours, depending on operations do not. They may perform to AMC has been largely trouble-free, the warning time.” missions for a theater commander, but an AMC official said that there are still When deploying to an area as far away they still are “owned” by AMC and “on some “command-and-control problems.” as the Gulf, the C-130s will make numer- loan” for specific missions. He explained, “We still have some gaps ous hops, since they lack the capability The C-17 Globemaster III played an in who commands what. It’s a never- for aerial refueling. Some crews will have important intratheater lift role in Bosnia ending, constantly shifting process” of flown ahead, gotten their requisite crew where, early in the Army deployment in determining ownership of airplanes and rest, and are ready to take the controls late 1995, it was able to move outsize missions alike. at an interim field when the airplane is equipment rapidly to small airfields. In “We need better representation on a refueled and checked out. Sometimes, fact, the C-17 is “writing a new page” CINC’s staff,” he said. “Army guys and extra, or augmented crews will fly on a in the theater lift manual, said the AMC fighter guys don’t understand theater lift” single airplane and trade off the flying programmer, but it is still too soon to well enough to plan their operations, and as crew rest demands. tell if it will be given more than an ad there are usually too few knowledge- Once in theater, the airplanes are to be hoc role in the theater mission. While it able officers available “to run what is ready for operations within a few hours has been suggested that some C-17s be a 24-hour-a-day operation” of tactical of landing and unloading their gear. purchased specifically for intra­theater lifters moving around the theater.

AIR FORCE Magazine / September 1998 43 AMC officials are developing a system to most part are in good shape and have Lockheed Martin offered the airplane as deploy liaison people to help plan operations many thousands of hours of service life a commercial buy, underwriting with its at the start of a contingency. In addition, left. Only about 25 C-130s will need to own funds the C-130J’s development and AMC is trying out some new ideas on how retire in the next 10 years. presumably saving USAF money. to manage theater lift and is succeeding In the early 1990s, Lockheed Martin, Congress has taken a strong interest in paring away loose ends. The command the C-130 producer, unveiled a new in the new program, adding C-130Js to learned a great deal from Desert Storm and model known as C-130J. It offered an the Air Force’s budget in each of the is still finding ways to apply those lessons. all-digital flight control system, new last five years and touting its enhanced Exercises like Red Flag and the joint Blue materials, a new engine and propeller performance and lower projected cost of Flag also help point up deficiencies, which system, a glass cockpit flight deck, a ownership compared to currently serving AMC is trying to swiftly correct. two-person crew (vs. three on previous types. Moreover, the program has top models), and improvements in climb political support. Until his retirement Enter the C-130J rate, speed, and range. in 1997, Sen. Sam Nunn, the Georgia One of the most controversial aspects The Air Force was not yet ready to Democrat, exerted great influence on of the intratheater lift force concerns start replacing its C-130s, but it agreed to military affairs on Capitol Hill. The how the nation has gone about equipping request two examples of the new airplane district of House Speaker Newt Gingrich it, particularly in the 1990s. The Air per year to “get the ball rolling,” a senior (R–Ga.) lies close to the Marietta, Ga., Force owns about 510 C-130E and C- Air Force official said. By the time the facility that produces the C-130Js. 130H slicks, in about five different con- airplane was certified and tested, the Air Not everyone in Congress supports figurations. These airplanes—bought Force reasoned, it would be time to start these purchases. The addition of the in lots as small as eight a year on up ordering new airplanes to replace the old- C-130Js to the USAF budget at a time to 27 a year since the 1960s—for the est C-130Es in the inventory. Moreover, when higher-priority programs are get- ting shortchanged “defies logic,” said Sen. John McCain (R–Ariz.), a member Guard and Reserve C-130 Airlifters, 1998 of the Senate Armed Services Commit- tee and leading critic. The C-130 ranks 15th on AMC’s list of funding priorities. Location Component Model Number In addition, Congress has tended to Baltimore Guard E 8 provide money to buy these new airplanes Boise, Idaho Guard E 4 without adequately supplying the spares E 12 Channel Island ANGB, Calif. Guard and support capabilities necessary for Charleston, W. Va. Guard H 8 Charlotte, N.C. Guard H 12 their proper operation. When it comes Cheyenne, Wyo. Guard H 8 to supporting the new aircraft, the old Dallas Guard H 8 C-130 equipment won’t do. Gen. Walter Dobbins, Ga. H 8 Reserve Kross, AMC commander, noted that the Gen. Mitchell IAP, Wis. Reserve H 10 Hickam AFB, Hawaii Guard H 4 C-130J is “70 percent a new airplane” by Keesler AFB, Miss. Reserve E 8 virtue of sophisticated new systems and Kulis ANGB, Alaska Guard H 8 engines, requiring new support gear as Little Rock, Ark. Guard E 8 Louisville, Ky. Guard H 12 well as simulators and training aids. The Mansfield, Ohio Guard H 8 General Accounting Office, for its part, Martinsburg, W. Va. Guard H 12 estimates that USAF will be short $302 Maxwell AFB, Ala. Reserve H 8 million in C-130J support funds by 2003. McEntire ANGB, S.C. Guard H 1 Minneapolis/St. Paul Guard H 8 Minneapolis/St. Paul Reserve E 8 Playing Games? Nashville Guard H 12 Gingrich argues that, on the C-130J New Orleans Guard H 1 issue, the Air Force has been “playing Niagara Falls, N.Y. H 8 Reserve games,” deliberately failing to request Oklahoma City Guard H 8 Peterson AFB, Colo. Reserve H 14 airplanes because it knew Congress Peoria, Ill. Guard E 8 would fund them anyway. Pittsburgh Reserve H 8 “This is definitely an abnormal pro- Quonset, R.I. Guard E 8 Reno, Nev. Guard E 8 gram,” one senior Air Force official Savannah, Ga. Guard H 8 said. Congress not only is buying new Schenectady, N.Y. Guard H 4 airplanes in the absence of an Air Force E 8 Selfridge, Mich. Guard request but also has ordered that they go, St. Joseph, Mo. Guard H 8 Willow Grove, Pa. Reserve E 10 for the most part, to Guard and Reserve Wilmington, Del. Guard H 8 units and not the active duty Air Force, Youngstown, Ohio Reserve H 16 which has the most fatigued airplanes. Total 300 “There has not been a proper sense of Source: GAO from ANG, AFRC data. ownership of this airplane,” the official

44 AIR FORCE Magazine / September 1998 said. “We, as an Air Force, have also been corporately slow in defining support requirements for the C-130J and figuring out how to fund them.” He added, “We

are finally getting off the dime.” Staff photo by Guy Aceto The Air Force has undertaken an analysis to determine whether the sup- port-funds deficit is really as large as claimed. “I have no confidence in those numbers,” the official said. “I’m having an analyst scrub it for me, to find out what’s real,” he added. USAF has conferred with Lock­heed Martin, the airplane contractor and “gotten them to use our numbers” when promoting the C-130J’s cost and performance advan- tages to Congress, the official reported. “Now that Congress is seeing one set of numbers, I think the ... [support-cost] This Maryland ANG C-130E could be replaced by the new C-130J. Congress has not deficit will be much lower.” only ordered J models without an Air Force request, it has said the aircraft should go first to the Guard and Reserve rather than active duty units. Plans call for converting the first C-130J aircraft into hurricane-chasing WC-130J models and for basing them at C-130Js to its budget. “Are they early to AMC “Tiger Team” study on how best Keesler AFB, Miss., a move that raised need?” he asked rhetorically. “Yes, but to modernize the C-130 fleet. The plan eyebrows because Mississippi is the they are not excessively early to need. calls for buying 250 C-130Js over the next home state of Senate Majority Leader Better to have them available if we should 12 years, replacing the oldest C-130Es as Trent Lott. However, said the senior suddenly discover cracks or some bad they retire. Some of the newer C-130Es USAF official, this move makes sense problem” in the serving models. and the C-130Hs—which were purchased because “you want them all in one place Moreover, without the C-130J, all in four versions—would all be upgraded ... as much as you can” to save on sup- of Lockheed Martin’s USAF–business to a new configuration, dubbed C-130X. port equipment. The “issue of beddown overhead costs would be chargeable to This new configuration would take ad- is still being worked” as to where the the F-22 fighter (the plant’s other major vantage of many, but not all, of the technolo- rest of the new airplanes will go. The defense project), and that could hurt gies being put into the C-130J and make the Maryland Air National Guard will get the fighter’s affordability. The C-130J airplanes compliant with new international the first slick C-130Js. program “relieves pressure on the F-22,” air traffic avionics requirements. The senior official said that USAF said an Air Force official. The C-130X program would involve hasn’t really been hurt by the addition of The Air Staff has also blessed an three phases. Phase 0, under way right now, upgrades the airplanes’ electrical systems and auto­pilot. About a fifth of the fleet have already undergone this modification. Phase 1 of the C-130X effort would install a new glass cockpit and install new computers and radar and many of the Global Air Photo by Erik Hildebrandt Traffic Management–required avionics. This would include a Terminal Collision Avoidance System. Money for Phase 1 would be budgeted in 2000 and production would begin in 2002. Phase 2 of the X program would upgrade the engines of whatever E models remain in the fleet to the same configuration as that on the C-130H: the Allison T56A-15. The Phase 2 effort would also install a common auxiliary power unit for all C-130Xs. If neces- sary, a wing box replacement would be Based on its showing in Bosnia, some defense planners have suggested purchas- added for the oldest Hercules airplanes ing some of the new C-17 strategic airlifters strictly for the intra­theater role. So far, it’s just an idea. to be retained. The entire C-130X effort would be completed in 2010. ■ AIR FORCE Magazine / September 1998 45