DefenceTalkThe top three acquisition priorities for the Air Force are the KC-46A aerial tanker, the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter and the Long Range Strike Bomber, officials told members of Congress during a hearing of House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on seapower and projections forces, April 2. “On any given day, the Air Force’s mobility aircraft […]https://www.defencetalk.com/air-force-leaders-insist-new-tanker-is-key-to-airpower-59224/

DefenceTalkAirbus Defence and Space has been selected by Qatar to supply two A330 MRTT new generation air-to-air refuelling aircraft for the Qatar Emiri Air Force. Qatar’s choice of the A330 MRTT makes it the seventh nation to select the type following Australia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom which have […]https://www.defencetalk.com/qatar-selects-airbus-a330-mrtt-multi-role-tanker-transport-59167/

DefenceTalkSingapore said Thursday it would replace its aging KC-135R air refueling tankers made by US firm Boeing with Airbus’s A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft. Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told parliament of the decision to acquire the MRTT, which is based on the civilian A330 plane. Ng did not say how many Singapore will […]https://www.defencetalk.com/singapore-to-buy-airbus-refueling-tankers-for-air-force-58959/

DefenceTalkThe third Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifter for the Indian Air Force (IAF) departed for India Aug. 20 from the company’s Long Beach facility. It joins the first and second India C-17 airlifters, which arrived in June and July, respectively. Boeing is on track to deliver two more C-17s to the IAF this year and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/boeing-delivers-indian-air-forces-3rd-c-17-globemaster-iii-48851/

DefenceTalkThe Air Force and Boeing successfully conducted the KC-46 critical design review, or CDR, from July 8-10 at the Boeing facility in Mukilteo, Wash. The KC-46 weapon system CDR was the culmination of nine months of component and sub-system design reviews, which blended the best practices of both the commercial and Department of Defense frameworks. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/kc-46-critical-design-review-nearing-completion-48531/

DefenceTalkAir Force officials announced today Altus Air Force Base, Okla., as the preferred alternative for the KC-46A formal training unit (FTU). McConnell AFB, Kan., was selected as the preferred alternative for the first active duty led KC-46A main operating base (MOB 1) and Fairchild AFB, Wash., and Grand Forks AFB, N.D., are the reasonable alternatives. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/kc-46a-training-operational-bases-alternatives-selected-47881/

DefenceTalkFive JAS-39 Gripen aircraft and six pilots have successfully completed 80 refueling contacts with German Airbus 310 MRTT tanker in training within ATARES Program. “The training has increased number of Czech pilots who are able to refuel in the air and advanced capabilities of our flight and, at the same time, advanced combat skills of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/gripens-train-air-to-air-refuelling-from-german-tanker-47487/

DefenceTalkThe top acquisition priority in the Air Force – acquiring a new aerial refueling capability – is proceeding “on track,” Maj. Gen. John Thompson, the program executive officer for Tankers, said. Two years and several key milestones after the contract was awarded, a great deal of progress has been made. The preliminary design review completed […]https://www.defencetalk.com/kc-46-progress-on-track-47423/

DefenceTalkThe Air Force has increased planned life-cycle flying hours and aircrews assigned to the new KC-46A refueling tanker to make optimal use of the commercially-proven aircraft’s fuel efficiency, cargo and aeromedical evacuation capabilities. Compared to the Eisenhower-era KC-135 Stratotanker, the KC-46 is projected to have improved fuel efficiency, a greater fuel capacity, and much more […]https://www.defencetalk.com/air-force-increases-projected-kc-46-flying-hours-crew-ratio-46670/