As
of May 22, three USAF C-17s had delivered supplies to aid some 1.7 million refugees from Pakistan’s embattled Swat Valley. The aircraft, dispatched from Charleston AFB, S.C., and Dover AFB, Del., have delivered over a 24-hour period supplies that include 120,000 pre-packaged Halal meals, environmentally controlled tents, electrical generators, and water trucks. The US has pledged about $110 million in aid, following requests for support from the Pakistan government, as it battles Taliban insurgents in the Swat Valley. (Air Forces Central report one and two by SSgt. Stacia Zachary)
The KC-Z4, a blended wing body tanker concept being developed by startup JetZero, could fuel larger groups of aircraft at longer range to hold more targets at risk, company officials say.