Boeing 
said Monday that it would offer its new KC-767 to compete against the Northrop Grumman-EADS KC-30 for the Air Force’s KC-X tanker replacement program. (Northrop threw its hat in the ring late last week.) The 767, which is similar in size to USAF’s current KC-135 refueler, “is made for this mission,” says Ron Marcotte, head of Boeing’s Global Mobility Systems, considering its energy efficiency, agility, and “exceptional takeoff performance.” (Read more on this decision in “Why the 767”) Boeing already has produced some 950 commercial 767s and currently is developing 767 tankers for Japan and Italy. The company just completed a refueling hose test using the Hose Drum Unit favored by the Italian Air Force, US Navy, and most NATO countries. USAF decided that its next tanker would offer both its preferred boom system and an HDU.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.