A recent Government Accountability Office report looked at the critical issue of tactical airlift. While the report noted progress the department has taken to address strategic airlift capabilities, there are impending shortcomings in tactical lift, medium weight loads that cannot be met by any of the C-130 variants. The reduction in C-17 acquisition numbers, if reversed, could go a long way toward a solution. The austere Afghan environment and virtually complete lack of infrastructure has always been a logistic and transportation challenge, and one that will grow exponentially as force levels and operational deployments grow. Flight times and life cycles on critical components will continue to be eaten and reduce overall useful life on the existing C-5s, C-17s and C-130s. The Air Force needs DoD and Congress to do what needs to be done to fund an increase in the tactical airlift fleet including the C-27—which has found its home in the Air Force—as well as additional C-17s and C-130s. Currently fleet numbers can support operational requirements, but only for a limited time. Without a long range acquisition plan that leverages both current and long range needs we will be selling out the future for the now.

Our first issue of 2010 will feature an in-depth exclusive interview with General Ann Dunwoody, commander of Army Materiel Command, and that’s the start of a great 2010. If you have found our Who’s Who series useful this year, we are planning a host of additions to that series as well. I am eager to hear from any MLF readers on how these bonus inclusions have been useful and what we could do with them in the future to make them even more so next year.

Another issue I would like to hear about from both our military and industry readers alike. We attend a large number of trade shows throughout the year and have seen and heard grumblings on the rising costs and dwindling attendance numbers that make some exhibitors question whether there are too many shows. Are there too many?

As always, please feel free to contact me with any comments or suggestions.