Fill ’er Up?:

Feb. 2, 2007

According to the latest Air Force data, the service’s aerial refueling fleet of KC-135 and KC-10 aircraft flew almost 7,300 sorties in 2006, offloading fuel to nearly 40,000 aircraft. USAF also notes that coalition refueling aircraft—KC-135 and VC-10—flew about 700 sorties. The combined offload of fuel amounts to 4.5 billion gallons.

Related Content

Air Force Picks a Prototype for Its New Aircrew Helmet

June 27, 2022
The Air Force has selected a prototype to develop as its new helmet for all fixed-wing aircrew, Air Combat Command announced, picking LIFT Airborne Technologies’ design. The new helmet, which still has to undergo additional research and testing before the Air Force confirms the design and offers a production contract,…

INDOPACOM Boss Wants the Air Force to Base Fifth-Gen Fighters Closer to China

June 24, 2022
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.

Kendall: ‘Unrealistic’ for Air Force to Fight Two Wars While Modernizing

June 24, 2022
As Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall looks to modernize the force, he is calling for tough decisions that will shrink the size of the fleet and make the waging of two simultaneous wars “unrealistic,” he said at an AFA Leaders in Action event. Kendall sat down with AFA's president, retired…

Kendall Dispenses With Roper’s Quick NGAD Rhythm; System is Too Complex

June 24, 2022
The crewed, central airplane in the Next Generation Air Dominance system won’t follow early timetables that called for new versions to be fielded about every five years because it’s simply too complex, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall revealed. And while the program has entered formal development, it is still in…

Shift to Air Defense War in Ukraine Prompts US to Rethink Aid

June 24, 2022
The attempt by Ukraine to hold the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk ended June 23 as the Biden administration announced another $450 million in military aid, including four additional HIMARS rocket systems, to help strike Russian artillery as unmanned aerial systems have grown ineffective against Russian air defenses. “Air defense is…

Looser Marijuana Rules Added to House Panel’s NDAA—But No Changes to Vaccine Mandate

June 24, 2022
Service members facing potential discharges for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine received little relief from the House Armed Services Committee as it marked up the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, with a series of provisions challenging the vaccine mandate getting voted down. Troops hoping for changes to the Pentagon’s…