US Air Force studies future mobility platform

摘要

The US Air Force has begun to define the attributes that it wants in a future transport aircraft that will complement and eventually replace its fleet of C-130 medium transport aircraft. The extent to which its development could overlap with the pursuit of a next-generation, stealthy insertion platform for special operations forces, dubbed M-X, is also being explored. There may be synergy with additional aircraft that the service wants to field in coming decades such as penetrating strike and aerial refuelling platforms. The Air Mobility Command (AMC) is leading work on the transport concept, which is an advanced short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft called the AMC-X. It is envisaged for fielding around 2020.