Speaking during a visit to Germany for a meeting of NATO defense ministers, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld urged NATO countries to continue backing up and expanding their presence in Afghanistan. NATO troops have taken over security in northern and western Afghanistan, and by 2006 US officials believe they could take over in the less-settled southern part of the country. British Defense Minister John Reid agreed, saying NATO must have more than “paper forces.”
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.