The Northrop Grumman-EADS North America team confirmed that its KC-X entrant, the KC-30, had taken its first flight Sept. 25. Company officials at AFA’s Air & Space Conference said aircraft D-1 flew for nearly four hours. The KC-30 is in hot competition with Boeing’s 767 for the Air Force’s KC-X tanker replacement program.
The Pentagon released its new National Defense Strategy late Jan. 23, emphasizing a new commitment to the Western Hemisphere. But while that focus garnered most of the headlines, the strategy’s subtle shifts on China raise questions about how the Trump administration aims to leverage U.S. military power in the Indo-Pacific.
