The first Reserve wing to fly the KC-46A is taking shape. The 931st Air Refueling Group at McConnell AFB, Kan., was designated the 931st Air Refueling Wing on March 5, bringing in more than 400 new personnel to the base, according to a base release. The Wing designation establishes the 931st Operations Group, the 931st Maintenance Group, and the 931st Force Support Squadron, along with the creation of the 905th and 924th Refueling Squadrons. “The designation as a wing is a testament to the excellence of our Reserve airmen, both past and present,” said Col. Mark Larson, 931st ARG commander. McConnell also will serve as the first Active Duty-led KC-46A base. T?he first aircraft are slated to arrive in 2017. The Air Force expects to field 179 of the tankers, eventually phasing out its aging KC-135s.
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…