A Boeing KC-767 tanker refueled an F-15E on March 6, just one day after its first air-to-air refueling test—this one with a B-52. The March 5 test featured 73 connections, as Boeing officials checked out the aircraft’s “fifth-generation, fly-by-wire air refueling boom,” and an offload of some 10,000 pounds to the bomber. For the F-15E test, the 767 crew made “multiple contacts” and offloaded 5,500 pounds of fuel. Boeing’s KC-767 chief test boom operator, Rickey Kahler, said the new system “has optimized the flight controls, making it both precise and first rate.” Boeing is producing 767 tankers for Italy and Japan and plans to offer the KC-767 for USAF’s KC-X tanker replacement program.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
