George Muellner, Boeing’s chief of Air Force programs, said Thursday morning that there’s no reason to assume the KC-767 is a dead option for the Air Force’s tanker recapitalization program. The same factors taken into consideration four years ago, when the aircraft was selected—ramp space, sorties, fuel offload, etc.—are still the dominant issues. The KC-767 has always been capable of carrying cargo and passengers, which senior USAF leaders say will be essential in the upcoming tanker competition. However, Muellner also says Boeing will “respond with a full range of options” for the program.
Demonstrating capabilities needed for its Agile Combat Employment concept of operating from scattered locations with a minimal logistics footprint, the Air Force flew an MQ-9 Reaper remotely-piloted aircraft across the Pacific, operating with none of its usual launch-and-recovery gear and with non-expert ground crews. It required only seven people and…