SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. —
Air Mobility Command hosted nearly 400 DoD and Industry partners for the third iteration of Spring Industry Preview (SIP), April 16-17, 2024.
This year, the focus was on agility and Contingency Response operations – being able to quickly establish and tear down air bases in any theater. AMC called on industry partners to help solve operational challenges like distributed command and control, exploding into theater and decreased ground time during operations.
“Continued advancement of CR equipment capabilities with a light, lean and lethal mindset ensures successful maneuver of the Joint team regardless of the challenges of the theater,” said Colonel Daniel Mollis, 621st Contingency Response Group commander.
“For me, the SIP is about getting the best equipment for ‘the magic’,” he said.
This event included demonstrations of multiple mobility functions, including Contingency Response Team operations and Air Mobility Team capabilities, giving industry a front row seat to problem sets that mobility Airmen face every day.
General Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command, stressed the importance of industry and DOD teamwork, saying “Industry is a relationship, we don’t talk about it as one side verses the other. Relationships matter, and they require communication. This is an example of us working through challenges that affect all of us.”
Minihan emphasized the importance of two-way communication, stressing that AMC owes industry an answer to any product that is presented to the mobility force.
“You’re going to get a strong operational voice from us, you deserve that. Then the challenge is always yes, no, maybe. If the answer is no or maybe, then there’s an identification of why it’s not yes, something that we can all strive to work towards,” said Minihan.
During the two-day event, industry professionals had access to senior leaders and mobility Airmen, giving them an opportunity to collaborate and take a deep dive into problem sets together.
“Tenacity of our Airmen fills the gap between what we have and what we wish we had. Let’s help them fill those gaps with technology,” Minihan added.
Industry partner solutions will be presented at the Airlift/Tanker Association Industry Day during the A/TA Symposium in October. Any industry or DoD partners who have solutions to mobility problem sets should submit their solutions on https://www.amc.af.mil/Home/MILO.aspx.
