Stars & Stripes reported six relatively brand new C-27J’s provided to the Afghans were scrapped for 6 cents a pond.

This is just scratching the surface of a huge scandal we’ve touched on before.

The C27J was an Army program. Congress wouldn’t fund USAF acquisition. SecDef Gates (former USAF) allowed the Air Force to take over the program with the promise to fly it directly for Army aviation BDE’s.  Air Force officers are also on record saying they “needed” the airplane. They cancelled the program shortly after getting it citing cost and the C130 could do the job (the opposite of what they said top get the plane).

The C27J is four times less expensive per hour to fly vs. CH47 helicopters the Army must use to do emergency intratheatre lift missions (who also happen to work for the Army). Not a USAF concern. Not their mission. Not their cost. (one can do a search at Deftech.com for the references and debate)

This is just the final chapter about branch partisanship and the Air Force blocking the Army from acquiring any fixed wing at any cost. Evidence the Air Force would rather destroy aircraft than let the Army get their hands on them…