Boeing officials told reporters that the KC-767 tanker it is flight testing for the Italian Air Force will have the Link 16 data network—a leg up on current USAF tankers. Italy bought four KC-767s and will receive the first one in late 2006. (DR 11/21/05) Read the latest on the USAF tanker AOA here (DR 11/18/05), and the Boeing dilemma situation here (DR 11/21/05).
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.