Nebraska lawmakers ask USAF for safety assessment of 55th Wing

Nebraska's congressional delegation is pressing Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson for more information on the safety of certain aircraft in the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, NE, following an investigation by the Omaha World-Herald.

Offutt AFB hosts a variety of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, command-and-control and electronic-attack systems based on Boeing's C-135. Those include the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint signals-intelligence plane and its trainer variant; the RC-135S Cobra Ball electronic and imaging data-collection jet; the RC-135U Combat Sent airborne radar detection platform; the WC-135 Constant Phoenix, which tracks nuclear radiation in the atmosphere; and the OC-135B Open Skies jet, which monitors the domestic military movements of foreign countries.

The World-Herald showed more than 500 C-135 sorties were cut short due to mechanical failures including hydraulic leaks, landing gear issues and electrical problems since the start of FY-12.

A June 29 letter to Wilson, signed by Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse as well as Reps. Don Bacon, Jeff Fortenberry and Adrian Smith -- all Republicans -- praised the Air Force's request for more than $600 million in fiscal year 2019 to replace and update the aging C-135s, which are in high demand around the world.

"This represents a substantial investment in the 55th Wing, and we were proud to support the authorization of this funding in the FY-19 National Defense Authorization Act, the Senate version of which fully authorized funding for all of these planned recapitalizations and modernizations," lawmakers wrote. "That said, the safety, security and continued mission effectiveness of the 55th Wing remains an issue of critical focus."

Lawmakers want Wilson to assess the wing's health, readiness and safety, including any changes in the 29-aircraft fleet's average monthly health and any trends of worsening maintenance or safety problems.

"Do you assess that there is any risk to the safety of pilots and aircrews due to current maintenance issues within the C-135 airframes of the 55th Wing?" the letter asks. "What is the Air Force's long-term plan to sustain and recapitalize this critical capability?"

The letter does not set a deadline for answering the questions.