GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Nearly 70 industry partners proposed 89 solutions during the Fall Industry Panel at the Airlift/Tanker Association Conference, Nov. 8-9, 2023.
Industry partners addressed operational challenges Mobility Airmen experience in daily operations and the need for advancement and modernization of mobility capabilities to outpace peer and near peer competitors.
The “MARCO” 2023 Spring Industry Preview outlined AMC’s desire for solutions that alleviate challenges associated with expeditionary communications, augmented reality and virtual reality training, en-route care, logistics, and force protection.
The “POLO” event revisited the spring initiatives and addressed the problem statements with Lt. Gen. Randall Reed, Air Mobility Command deputy commander, and AMC subject matter experts.
“Our adversaries have studied everything we have in our inventory and figured out how to contest our mobility movements,” said Reed. “Therefore, the old style of operating is no longer possible.”
Solutions focused on mobility operations 500 feet and below that advance the agility, integration, and readiness of the Joint Force and continue to enable its ability to fight and win inside the first island chain, such as cargo loading equipment, virtual reality training and next generation network equipment solutions.
“Your participation is critical,” said Maj. Gen. Albert Miller, director of Strategy, Plans, Requirements, and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command. “The unsung heroes – those linemen of the team – are the people that are 500 feet and below. We cannot do our mobility mission without them, and industry innovation and partnership enable them to do their job that much better.”
Additional solutions focused on resilient basing within the Global Air Mobility Support System and modernizing and recapitalizing existing tankers to compliment other platforms and provide battlefield awareness.
“Airmen ARE the nation’s strategic advantage; they are the magic,” said Gen. Mike Minihan, AMC commander. “The solutions industry provides to maximize our Airmen’s warfighting capabilities will ensure that our Joint Force maintains the strategic advantage.”