Potential contractors and Congress both have 60 days to have a look at the new tanker draft request for proposals and offer comments and suggestions. After that, the Pentagon will release a final RFP, and contractors will have 60 days to respond. Then the Air Force gets a maximum of 120 days to evaluate the offers—it could take less time—and make an award, probably in June 2010. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley told reporters Thursday at the Pentagon that the service would expect the first aircraft deliveries in 2015. After the bulk of the KC-X deliveries are made, he said USAF would reconsider the way forward for the KC-Y and KC-Z. Continue
General Atomics, the maker of one of the Air Force’s first Collaborative Combat Aircraft, has ambitious plans for its family of semi-autonomous drones beyond the FQ-42, including a flying-wing aircraft capable of carrying out both reconnaissance and strike missions. Meanwhile, the Air Force Research Laboratory announced a new program to…