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.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.