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What the future of aerial refueling looks like

What the future of aerial refueling looks like
What the future of aerial refueling looks like

Boeing’s KC-46A and MQ-25 Stingray demonstrate next-generation capabilities that are transforming the role of the tanker.

Rep. Wittman on F-35 engine upgrade, KC-46 concerns and which USAF plane’s ‘time is done’

Rep. Wittman on F-35 engine upgrade, KC-46 concerns and which USAF plane’s ‘time is done’
Rep. Wittman on F-35 engine upgrade, KC-46 concerns and which USAF plane’s ‘time is done’

“I can tell you, this is going to get re-litigated in the committee and on the floor. And I just want to make sure people have the full scope of information to make the decision,” said Wittman on the F-35’s next engine.

Congress approves retirement of 160+ Air Force planes – with one notable exception

Congress approves retirement of 160+ Air Force planes – with one notable exception
Congress approves retirement of 160+ Air Force planes – with one notable exception

The A-10 lives, it BRRTs, it lives again!

Invest billions in aerial refueling or lose the China fight: Hudson report

Invest billions in aerial refueling or lose the China fight: Hudson report
Invest billions in aerial refueling or lose the China fight: Hudson report

A new report by the Hudson Institute projects the Pentagon is liable to be outdone by China if it fails to more heavily invested in the Air Force’s aerial refueling capabilities.

HASC Members Blast KC-46 Ahead Of 2022 NDAA

HASC Members Blast KC-46 Ahead Of 2022 NDAA
HASC Members Blast KC-46 Ahead Of 2022 NDAA

“There’s a lot of retrofit that will have to take place,” Gen. Stephen Lyons said about the replacement of the tanker’s faulty boom camera.

Iran Threat Sparks UAE-Israel Deal; US & Israeli F-35s Practice Killing SAMs

Iran Threat Sparks UAE-Israel Deal; US & Israeli F-35s Practice Killing SAMs
Iran Threat Sparks UAE-Israel Deal; US & Israeli F-35s Practice Killing SAMs

Israel and the United Arab Emirates have announced an historic diplomatic agreement catalyzed by the growing security threat posed by Iran. The United States, concerned about Tehran’s regional and nuclear ambitions, is leading an effort at the UN this week to prevent the Security Council’s arms embargo on Iran from expiring on October 18. If…

SASC To Air Force: Get Bigger & Better, But Don’t Retire Old Aircraft

SASC To Air Force: Get Bigger & Better, But Don’t Retire Old Aircraft
SASC To Air Force: Get Bigger & Better, But Don’t Retire Old Aircraft

“The Senate is saddling the service with unsupportable funding requirements,” Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group says.

Goldfein to SASC: Boeing KC-46 Still Faces ‘Profound Problems;’ Would Only Fly In War

Goldfein to SASC: Boeing KC-46 Still Faces ‘Profound Problems;’ Would Only Fly In War
Goldfein to SASC: Boeing KC-46 Still Faces ‘Profound Problems;’ Would Only Fly In War

Pressed by Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen on when the KC-46 will be fully ready, Goldfein said the service is in final negotiations with Boeing about a “serious fix” for the Remote Visual System that currently has a dangerous blind spot when monitoring the boom during refueling.

TRANSCOM Wants To Keep 23 Tankers DoD Cut In 2021

TRANSCOM Wants To Keep 23 Tankers DoD Cut In 2021
TRANSCOM Wants To Keep 23 Tankers DoD Cut In 2021

Retiring the KC-135s and KC-10s before the new KC-46 tanker comes on line will have “significant impacts” on TRANSCOM’s ability to fulfill its wartime mission, says Gen. Stephen Lyons.

What Aircraft May Die To Fund Goldfein’s Future?

What Aircraft May Die To Fund Goldfein’s Future?
What Aircraft May Die To Fund Goldfein’s Future?

Although retiring the B-2 fleet could save the Air Force nearly $3 billion, CSIS cautions that doing so “would leave the nation without a long-range penetrating strike aircraft and would weaken the airborne component of the nuclear triad.” 

Acting SecAF & Roper Likely Head To Paris Show, With F-35A

Acting SecAF & Roper Likely Head To Paris Show, With F-35A
Acting SecAF & Roper Likely Head To Paris Show, With F-35A

Amid chatter about what aircraft will make their way to Paris, the Air Force going all in.

Air Force OKs First KC-46 Delivery; Lots of Caveats

Air Force OKs First KC-46 Delivery; Lots of Caveats
Air Force OKs First KC-46 Delivery; Lots of Caveats

WASHINGTON: While the Air Force accepted delivery of the first KC-46 today, Boeing could face a total of $4.5 billion in cost overruns and withheld payments on the initial $4.9 billion contract for 52 KC-46 airborne tankers, depending on what happens as the company tries to fix the plane’s Remote Vision System. How does that…

Air Force Works To Speed New Air Force One FAA Certification

Air Force Works To Speed New Air Force One FAA Certification
Air Force Works To Speed New Air Force One FAA Certification

WASHINGTON: Air Mobility Command, an experienced observer of gaining FAA certification for civilian aircraft rebuilt for military purposes, is using its knowledge to try to lower the costs of the replacement for Air Force One. The head of AMC, Gen. Carlton Everhart, told me this afternoon they hoped to find “efficiencies” in the process of…

US Needs More Tankers, Transports Since Russia & China Can Shoot Them Down

US Needs More Tankers, Transports Since Russia & China Can Shoot Them Down
US Needs More Tankers, Transports Since Russia & China Can Shoot Them Down

AFA: The Air Force needs more tankers and transports because a sophisticated enemy like Russia or China can shoot them down, the chief of Air Mobility Command said here. The current fleet size is based on war plans that only considered how much fuel, supplies, equipment, and troops the air fleet needed to move from…