Air Force officials activated Air Force Reserve Command’s 730th Air Mobility Training Squadron at Altus AFB, Okla. The unit, which stood up on June 13, will train Active Duty, Air National Guard, Reserve, and foreign aircrews to fly C-17 transports and KC-135 tankers. It falls under AFRC’s 452nd Air Mobility Wing, which is headquartered at March ARB, Calif. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said the squadron’s activation remedies the fact that Altus’ 97th Flight Training Wing was the only wing within 19th Air Force that did not have an associated Reserve unit, reported The Oklahoman June 14. Inhofe added that the new squadron improves chances that the base would host KC-46A tankers, which are slated to replace KC-135s in the coming years. The 730th AMTS traces its history back to 1943. (Includes Altus release)
Boeing’s receipt of the 10th lot contract award for the KC-46 Pegasus this week leaves just three lots left to complete the Air Force’s buy of the tanker, although a further buy of 75 additional aircraft as a “bridge” to the Next-Generation Aerial-refueling System (NGAS) seems increasingly likely.