The Air Force is working hard to ensure interoperability of the KC-46 tanker, as well as other fleets of aircraft, with allies around the world, Maj. Gen. John Thompson, USAF’s program executive officer for tankers, told House legislators last week. Speaking before the House Armed Services Committee’s seapower and projection forces panel on April 2, Thompson said USAF is assisting Boeing in its KC-46 marketing efforts by ensuring Air Force senior leadership is as knowledgeable as possible about the tanker and its capabilities so they can answer questions allies may have about the program. They also are coordinating with Boeing to bring the KC-46 simulator and air refueling operator station simulator before “a significant number of the air attaches from here in Washington, D.C., at the foreign embassies” and at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities and hear the status of the program, Thompson said.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.