The Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, 24 NATO countries, three non-NATO countries, and a commercial aerial tanking vendor have all adopted a common set of procedures for aerial refueling. An Air Mobility Command release calls the development of the NATO Allied Tactical Publication-56(B) a “significant milestone” in military interoperability. ATP-56(B) replaces 17 separate weapon system-specific manuals. According to AMC, the new document came just in time to speed coordination for Operation Achilles in Afghanistan, enabling participation by French Air Force and Navy Rafael strike fighters.
President Joe Biden previewed $800 million in new defense assistance to Ukraine, including “a new advanced Western air defense system,” in closing a NATO summit in Madrid that saw formal invitations offered to Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. Also during the historic summit, mention of China was added…