Airmen, Soldiers join forces for joint cargo aircraft

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SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  Airmen and Soldiers are teaming up to get a new cargo aircraft.

The Joint Cargo Aircraft will fill a vital combat readiness need for both services. The Air Force has been looking into a new aircraft, smaller than a C-130 Hercules, to fill airlift operations, and the Army needs to replace its current aging fleet of small cargo aircraft.

The new plane offers many advantages which would have been very useful during recent Air Force airlift operations, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley

“As the air commander for Afghanistan and Iraq, I would have loved to have that smaller cargo aircraft to be able to get in and out of places in Afghanistan and in and out of places in Iraq,” General Moseley said. “As a chief last summer, for Katrina, Rita and Wilma, I would have loved to have had a number of those aircraft to get in and out of Mobile, Biloxi and New Orleans.”

General Moseley said he believes the new aircraft will also help with homeland defense.

The Joint Program Office, with specialists from both services, will open Oct. 1 to begin fielding the aircraft. The Air Force expects delivery of the new aircraft in 2010.