A Royal Netherlands Air Force KDC-10 tanker flew its first mission as part of Operation Inherent Resolve on Feb. 1, refueling multiple aircraft over a five and a half hour period. The tanker completely emptied its fuel during a mission from a base in Kuwait, refueling aircraft from Australia, Canada, Germany, and the US, according to a press release. About 30 Dutch airmen and the tanker had deployed from their home base in Eindhoven just days before the misison. The aircraft previously deployed to operations in Afghanistan in 2004 and was part of Operation Unified Protector in Libya in 2011.
The Air Force is targeting August 2027 for its new T-7A Red Hawk trainer jet to reach its initial operational capability. To get there, the head of Air and Education Training has three milestones he needs to see the program hit.
