Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) extolled the arrival of the New Jersey Air National Guard’s first R model KC-135 tankers, saying the aircraft would “ensure the survival of the 108th Air Refueling Wing. The wing is giving up its older KC-135E models for the newer R models, which have new engines that make them 90 percent quieter than the older model tankers. Saxton was instrumental in getting the 108th ARW, based at McGuire AFB, N.J., off the hit list during BRAC 2005.
While the Space Force is still making long-term plans to establish high-fidelity live and virtual test and training ranges in the coming years, officials say they're also working with operators to identify near-term gaps and quickly field capabilities to address them.
