A “go” from the QDR is pursuit of a replacement aerial tanker, although the program may not get a formal launch until 2007. The Air Force is leaning toward a combination tanker/cargo aircraft, not unlike the KC-10, which could swing between the two missions at need. Gen. Norton Schwartz, head of US Transportation Command, says the new airplane would give him maximum “versatility” in responding to a broad range of contingencies. The move, however, seems to be the death knell for the KC-767, which is not considered beefy enough in its lifting capacity to meet the Air Force’s new vision. Boeing is expected to offer a variant of its 777 airliner.
U.S. Space Command is still passionate about the idea of being able to maneuver satellites in orbits without worrying about conserving fuel. But how exactly to achieve that remains unsettled as the combatant command works with the Pentagon’s acquisition enterprise, SPACECOM’s deputy commander said.