KC-135 tankers of the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron at Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan, set a single-day, fuel-offload record for the base on May 24 by passing 804,800 pounds of fuel to 32 receivers during 12 missions. The figure bested the previous offload mark of 722,000 pounds that was set Aug. 13, 2007. “This impressive offload accounted for 55 percent of all the air refueling support in Afghanistan that day,” said Lt. Col. Wayne Cooper, the unit’s commander. (Manas report by Lt. Col. Adriane Craig)
Lockheed Martin plans to enter the Advanced Tactical Trainer fray to supply the Air Force with a new jet to bridge between undergraduate flight instruction and fighter training units, but declined to say whether it will offer a T-50A derivative, a different non-developmental airplane, or a clean-sheet design. It's comments…