Italy buying six Airbus-made A330 MRTT tankers, a $1.6B value
Rome initially announced its intention to acquire the Boeing-made KC-46 Pegasus tankers in 2022.
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Next-generation KC-390 Millennium expands multimission options for air forces
The jet-powered transport’s speed, survivability and multi-mission agility position it as a viable option to the C-130 for the US and NATO allies.
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MQ-9B SeaGuardian® offers Navy-Marine Corps a decisive edge in today’s battlespace
The MQ-9B is uniquely suited to meet the challenges of modern conflict.
Airbus exploring development of future tanker based on A330neo
“We are thinking about the [A330]neo, it’s a very natural evolution of our [tanker] solution,” said Maria Angeles Marti, Head of Tanker and Derivatives at Airbus Defence and Space.
Air Force grounds KC-135 fleet over fear tails could fall off mid-flight
Inspections must be completed within the next 15 days, and includes not just the KC-135 refuelers, but the RC-135 reconnaissance planes and the WC-135 Constant Phoenix fleet.
The replacement for the KC-46’s troubled vision system is delayed by more than a year
The KC-46’s new Remote Vision System 2.0 now won’t be available until October 2025.
‘Tactical tanker’: Why L3Harris, Embraer think KC-390 offering can dodge new tanker wars
"This will easily be Buy American Act [compliant]. It's not even going to be close," L3Harris CEO Chris Kubasik said of the effort with Brazil's Embraer.
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In contested seas, autonomy must anticipate, not just navigate
As missions stretch farther and comms grow less reliable, predictive software could become the edge that keeps missions afloat.
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LMXT Boom: Ready. Certified. Unmatched.
“Future refueling operations with the LMXT boom offer a number of possibilities and that future is not far off,” said Ken Moss, a retired U.S. Air Force tanker pilot and Lockheed Martin’s LMXT campaign manager.
Boeing racks up $402M cost overrun on KC-46 tanker
Total cost overruns for the program sit at about $5.4 billion in pre-tax charges, and all must be paid by Boeing.
Navy Enters Drone Age, Taps Boeing for MQ-25
Loaded with jet fuel, the drones will vastly extend the ranges of carrier-based aircraft operating in the expanses of the western Pacific. That lets the Navy strike deeper into China's layered defenses while keeping the big decks out of range of most of China's anti-ship missiles.
Long-Range Strike: ‘More Potent,’ More Survivable & Cheaper
On January 19, the Air Force struck Libya to halt terrorist activity using B-2 stealth bombers. This was not the first strike against Libya. A mix of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy fighters conducted strikes 30 years ago against Libya in response to terrorist acts in Europe. A comparison of the two raids illustrates the […]
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Accelerating space power through software-defined mission dominance
As space threats continue to evolve, existing satellites need new capabilities to defend and protect, even after launch.
Another Boeing Tanker Delay; How Long, Oh Lord?
WASHINGTON: When Boeing really, truly and finally won the airborne tanker competition by underbidding what was then EADS North America (now Airbus) by at least 10 percent, the chairman of the losing company, Ralph Crosby, said he believed it important that Boeing be watched closely to make sure they delivered at that price and on […]
Hill Staffer Gives Boeing ‘Benefit Of Doubt’ As DoD Tester Warns Of Year Delay To KC-46 Tests
UPDATED: With Official Air Force Comment PENTAGON: It’s one of those sentences that gets a defense reporter’s heart beating a little faster. “DOT&E analysis of initial Boeing schedules with regard to aerial refueling certifications, aircraft and support equipment technical orders, and operator/maintainer training indicates that operational testing will likely slip at least 6 to 12 […]
Sec. Donley: Why The Air Force Can’t Delay Modernization – EXCLUSIVE
Michael Donley is the Secretary of the Air Force. This is the conclusion of a series of four op-eds Sec. Donley wrote exclusively for Breaking Defense on the future of the Air Force. Today’s piece makes the case that investments in new technology cannot be deferred — a modernization challenge that Army aviators are facing […]
Boeing Plows Through KC-46 Reserve Funding; Sequestration Would Be ‘Near Catastrophic’
UPDATED: Boeing statement added NATIONAL HARBOR: Boeing has been plowing through its KC-46 management reserve for much of the last six months, according to a senior Air Force official. “The burn rate of their management reserve rate has gone up significantly over the last six months or so,” the official told reporters today. While this […]