The Russia factor - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

The Russia factor

The U.S. and Russian governments are negotiating details of a potential change to the air bridge that could drastically shift how troops and supplies are airlifted to Afghanistan — opening Russian airspace to charter and U.S. military flights supplying Afghanistan, said Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of U.S. Transportation Command.

So far, the Russian government has allowed only two C-17 flights to cross Russia, but McNabb foresees hundreds of flights each year.

By flying the polar route into Russia, chartered jets could travel nonstop from Chicago to Afghanistan; Air Force transports could take on cargo at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and refuel in Alaska before heading to Afghanistan; and wounded troops could fly direct to U.S. bases instead of stopping at Ramstein and the nearby Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, McNabb said.